


Residency

by commander_rahrah



Category: Open Heart (Visual Novel)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-04
Updated: 2020-02-26
Packaged: 2020-10-06 20:56:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 87,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20513381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/commander_rahrah/pseuds/commander_rahrah
Summary: A re-telling of Open Heart Book One, with more depth, different points of views, angst, drama, and jealousy.NOTE: This series involves a romance between Ethan x MC, and Bryce x MC. Both pairings are present in this fic and ebb and flow throughout the entire series.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Characters, storyline, and parts of the dialogue are taken from Pixelberry’s Choices. They fully own the characters, dialogue, backgrounds, etc. MC Jordynne’s background is my own creation, based loosely off of MC in-game’s personality and provided with more details. 

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Rating: T (Swearing)
> 
> Word Count: 3000+
> 
> Description: Jordynne’s last night in Oregon, leading up to her move to Boston, her apartment/Harry Potter room and the beginning of her first day at Edenbrook in Ethan’s point of view. 
> 
> Disclaimer: Characters, storyline, and parts of the dialogue are taken from Pixelberry’s Choices. They fully own the characters, dialogue, backgrounds, etc. MC Jordynne’s background is my own creation, based loosely off of MC in-game’s personality and provided with more details. 
> 
> Author’s Note: I’ve never posted a Choices Fanfic before! I write fanfiction for other things (Mass Effect & Dragon Age if you are into that), but I just really really couldn’t get Ethan and my MC’s relationship out of my head. But I’m also super torn between him and Bryce. So I came up with a little scene in my head and just started writing. For my writing style, I do like to often put pieces of scenes from in-game/in-app to help the reader figure out where in the storyline we are. Okayyyyyyy here we go!

PART ONE:

  
Jordynne ducked into the black awning covering the entrance to the restaurant, shaking out her umbrella. It was pouring out — of course, it was. It was her last night in Portland — the rainy city had to leave a final impression on her.

Biting her lip, she opened up the door and headed inside. The hostess greeted her right away, and before she could tell her she was there for a reservation she heard a chorus of people screaming her name.

“Jordynne!!!”

“Ha, I guess that’s them.” She smiled through the embarrassing moment, her cheeks turning red.

She made her way to the private room at the back of the trendy restaurant. There was a big black booth, metal bar stools and string lights everywhere. And a giant homemade banner on the back wall reading, “GOOD LUCK DOC”.

A massive smile spread across her face as read it, and looked down at all of her family and friends sitting at the tables.

“Awe baby! You’re here!!” Jordynne watched as her mother jumped out of her seat, and ran over to her with her arms spread wide.

“Hi, mom.” She said, letting her wrap her in a big hug.

Her dad came up next to them, grabbing Jordynne’s by the shoulder and pulling him into her side. “Hey, kiddo.” He had a sad smile on his face.

She could hear right through the gruffness in his voice, “Dad don’t! It’s too early to be sad.” She punched him softly on the arm.

He let out a warm chuckle, pretending to rub at his arm in pain. “Ha, okay okay.”

Her parents led her towards the rest of the group, who were all beaming at Jordynne.

Her pink mouth dropped open, “Oh my god, there are so many people here! Guys, thank you so much for coming!” She let out a little squeal as she hugged her aunts and cousins, college friends and neighbors. She couldn’t believe they all came out to see her off.

“Wait, where’s Jason?” She said, her smile faltering a little when she realized her older brother still wasn’t there.

“He’s on his way. His shift ran late.” Her best friend Carter spoke up, grabbing her wrist and pulling her into a hug.

“Ugh, please don’t remind me that my best friend knows more about my brother than I do…”

“Oh, he knows way more about him...” Her other best friend Kenzie interjected.

Jordynne pulled back as if she was going to slap her, “Kenzie, I swear to god!”

She flashed her a shit-eating grin. “Ugh, I’m going to miss this.”

She chewed on her lip again, “Yeah, me too.” She could feel tears starting to come to her eyes, so she started waving her hands in front of her face. “It’s too soon to start crying!! I just got here.” She forced a laugh.

“Someone’s making my little sister cry?! Who’s ass do I gotta kick now?” A booming voice came from the back. Jason strolled up, still wearing his police uniform. A giant grin split on his face when he saw Jordynne. “There you are.” He picked her up into a giant teddy bear hug — her feet left the ground.

“Really dressed up for me, hey.” Her voice was strained from being squeezed so hard.

“Hey, I came straight from the station. Didn’t want to miss a second more.” He raised up his hands to her, in silent apology. Immediately after he put on a goofy smile. 

Everyone finally settled down at the table together — drinks were ordered and family-style platters shared amongst each other. Stories of Jordynne were exchanged — her childish antics with Jason, when she backed her dad’s Corolla into the basketball hoop, the day she got accepted into medical school. Even though she had insisted there be no gifts, her friends and family still gave her presents. Her Aunties gave her bags of her favorite coffee grounds and a travel mug — for all of her early mornings at the hospital. A scrapbook from Kenzie and Carter, filled with pictures from high school and college. Her parents gave her a crisp, white lab coat with her name embroidered and Jason gave her a brand new stethoscope. By the end of the night, Jordynne’s eyes were filled to the brim with tears. 

Everyone lingered as the night wrapped up, coming over to give her their well wishes and goodbyes. Her aunts wrapped her up in tight hugs, her cousins took selfies with her, her neighbors gave her a firm handshake and good luck wishes. Kenzie and Carter grabbed her from both sides in a tight group hug, before doing their trademark pinkie promise handshake. They were all laughing with tears in their eyes. Jason gave her a big bear hug again, chewing the inside of his lip as he saw her tears.

  
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do Smartie.” He gave her a sad smile, holding onto her hand still.

“Whatever Worm.” She rolled her eyes at him but squeezed his hand back. “Now, go get Carter.”

He flashed her a row of white teeth, before finding Carter and intertwining their fingers together. He gave him a soft kiss, before starting to drag him out of the doors with the rest of the group.

Finally, Jordynne turned to see her parents standing in front of her — their faces red with tears. They rushed her into a hug, their heads pushing together. “Thank you so much.” She said, her voice muffled through the mom’s hair. “For everything. I don’t know how to ever repay you.”

Her dad’s laugh shook the group. “You don’t owe us anything Kiddo.”

Jordynne looked at her mom’s face, her green eyes shining. “You can go out there, and be the best damn Doctor you can be.”

She nodded vigorously at them, “Okay.” She said, letting out a breathy laugh.

* * *

Staring out through the small oval window, Jordynne absent-mindedly ran her fingers on the edge of the textbook in front of her. She had brought it with her on the plane, intending to catch up on her studying. But as soon as she sat down in her seat, her mind started vibrating and stomach fluttering nervously. She was doing it, she was actually doing it — moving across the country to complete her residency at Edenbrook. 

  
She hadn’t packed that much — clothes, toiletries, some photos, and books. Her suitcase and carry on were enough. Jordynne had wanted Boston to be different, and not having her college dorm room’s decor with her was a part of that. Boxing up the rest of her stuff and putting it in storage in her parent’s basement was cathartic. Either way, the small room she had found for rent near the hospital did not have the space available for a lot of decor.

  
Letting out a sigh, she tried to refocus on the textbook in front of her. Only four more hours until she landed in Boston. Only four more hours until her new life would actually begin.

* * *

Anxiously staring into the mirror, Jordynne fixed her blonde ponytail for the fourth time that morning. She stared into the small cracked mirror in the house’s shared bathroom, before straightening up. Licking her pink lips, she studied herself. Her long wavy blonde hair was pulled up into a sleek high ponytail, her tan skin dewy from a bit of foundation and highlighter. Her green eyes seemed a bit brighter with her new contacts. Smoothing down her blue scrubs, she attempted a smile in the mirror but was interrupted by a loud knocking. “Hey, are you done yet?!” A hoarse voice shouted at her through the door.

  
“Sorry!” Jordynne grabbed onto her toiletry bag and turned the knob to the door. “All done!” As she went to wave one of the roommates through, they shoved into her and closed the door. She closed her eyes for a moment, taking a calming breath before heading back downstairs to her room.

It wasn’t really a bedroom. Maybe a cold storage room. It was the space underneath the stairs leading into the frigid basement — there was no ceiling in the room, and the floor was concrete. Definitely no windows. But it was so cheap and close to the hospital, Jordynne wouldn’t dare complain. The delivery guy from the furniture store raised an eyebrow when he brought in her mattress and bed frame for her, but she was going to make the best of it.

Swapping out the toiletries in her hand for her grey messenger bag, Jordynne slung it over her shoulder and bounded back up the stairs. Fumbling with the cord of her headphones, she pulled out her phone and scrolled through her playlist — trying to find the perfect song to walk to.

She had already practiced walking to work a few times— confirming what the best time to leave was, any short cuts or good coffees places to stop by. She wasn’t usually that anal — she was just nervous. Giving up on finding a song, she pressed shuffle and flipped over to her messages. She had unread texts from her family and friends, sending “I love you” and “good luck” messages. Jordynne smiled as she read them, replying back quickly before putting her head back up.

She could see Edenbrook from here — the large glass windows shining in the morning sun. Jordynne felt her stomach flip, as she crossed the street and stood outside of its main entrance. Wrapping her headphones back up, she turned her phone to “do not disturb” and tucked them into her bag. Gripping onto the strap crossing over her chest, she took a deep breath before marching into the building.

* * *

Tipping the final drops of his coffee into his mouth, Ethan Ramsey places his travel mug on his desk with a sigh. He still had another thirty minutes until the orientation started. _Interns_.

He liked it in his office. He spent more time in the 100 square foot room than he did in his two-bedroom apartment. It was simple — his desk was nothing fancy, some comfortable chairs for patients or residents to sit in during meetings. A deep leather sofa sat in the corner — his bed on most nights.

Checking his pager, Ethan turned off the lights in his office before locking the door and heading down the hall. A few nurses giggled as he walked by, and he gritted his teeth as he heard them.

He enjoyed walking the hospital, weaving past the entrance to observe waiting patients. He liked to challenge himself, try and diagnose patients without speaking to them first. Poking his head around the corner, he took stock of the dozen people sitting patiently in their chairs.

Nurse Roberts waved to him from the front desk — one of the few people he could tolerate. She had been sitting there on his first day, and he didn’t expect she would be going anywhere else anytime soon. A couple of nurses stood near a supply closet, whispering to each other quietly.

But his stormy eyes flickered over to a pair of blue scrubs — a blonde woman he had never seen before was waltzing through the waiting room, her mouth open as she gazed around her. _An intern?_ He thought to himself, curiously watching her.

She was pretty, he wouldn’t deny that. Her tan skin glowed compared to her scrubs, and she had her hair pulled up into a long, wavy ponytail. She reminded him of someone from the cover of one of the magazines in the waiting room — high cheekbones, full pink lips, long lashes. He crinkled his mouth in surprise. It wasn’t that doctors weren’t allowed to be attractive, it’s was just the fact that Ethan found himself thinking about one was. 

An audible gasp caused his ears to perk up. Blinking himself back to reality, his eyes darted around the waiting room, watching as a woman slumped in her seat before hitting the tiled floor.

Instincts kicking in, Ramsey started rushing over to the woman opening his mouth to speak. Two voices in unison echoed in the room, “Everybody, step back! I’m a doctor!”

Ignoring the other voice, he dropped down to his knees next to the patient. Taking two trained fingers, he placed them on her neck searching for a pulse. He barely felt it on his fingertips.

“Pulse is weak. She’s unresponsive.” He muttered to himself, before looking around for a staff member. Spotting the blonde in the scrubs, he nodded towards her — beckoning her over. “You. Rookie. Get in here.”

He didn’t wait to see if she was coming, instead, he tucked his arms underneath the woman and lifted her up with ease. A nurse appeared with a stretcher, and he placed her on it gently. The blonde woman was steadying it for him, her eyes focused.

Noticing the nurse who suddenly appeared at his side, the doctor spoke to him, “Mahiri, what was she coming in for? Did she fill out a form yet?”

“No, she’d just walked in.” The nurse said, his eyes wide as he looked down at the patient.

Ramsey let out an agitated breath. “If we don’t figure out what’s wrong with her fast, she’s gonna die on this table.” Licking his lips, he started observing the patient as he instructed the intern. “Rookie, check her B.P.”

The nurse quickly handed a blood pressure cuff to her, who quickly wrapped it around the woman’s arm, pumping the bulb and peering at the numbers. “It’s plummeting. She’s hypotensive. We’ve gotta get fluids in her.”

Another nurse wheeled over an IV rack, quickly hooking her in with ease. As he moved her arm, Ramsey noticed a large bruise forming on her elbow. The woman stirred at the sensation, and he watched as the blonde grabbed onto her hand instinctually. The patient weakly gripped the intern’s hand, her fingertips slowly turning blue.

Ethan waited — seeing if she would notice.

He watched as her green eyes widened. “Doctor, look at this bruise. It wasn’t here a moment ago.”

_Observant. Good_. He thought to himself, test number two now. “You’re sure?”

She didn’t miss a beat. “Yes, I’m sure.”

_Confident_. He liked that. “That’s the elbow she landed on when she fell. A bruise forming that fast would suggest that this woman is a hemophiliac. Good catch.” He nodded at her approvingly, “Also, see her fingertips? Low oxygen saturation in her blood. Take a closer listen to her lungs. Hurry.” He wanted to show her, to teach her more. But the last thing he needed was a waiting room full of people to watch a woman die at 7:00 in the morning.

Handing her the stethoscope from around his neck, he watched as she slipped it in her ears before placing the resonator onto the woman’s side. “I can’t hear anything on the left side! And her right lung is struggling! Doctor, she’s going to suffocate!”

He noticed the inflection in her voice — she was starting panic now. Remaining calm, his eyes narrowed in on the patient, his pupils flickering as he analyzed her. “Nurse, we’ve got a code blue.”

The nurse shifted quickly, grabbing a bag-mask from his cart and passing it to him.

“What do we do, Doctor? What’s happening to her?” The blonde woman asked as she watched, her hands awkwardly in front of her — waiting to be told what to do.

He gently started pumping air into the woman’s lungs, speaking to the intern as he did so. “Consider all the clues. It’s all there. You know this, Rookie.”

“It’s… It’s…” He watched her close her eyes, her eyelids flickering as she thought.

_Come on, get there faster. Don’t make me do it._ Ramsey thought to himself.

“It’s a hemothorax!” She blurted out.

A small smile flickered on Ethan’s face as she solved it. “Precisely. A blood vessel ruptured and is filling her pleural cavity…”

She interrupted him, “Blocking her lungs from expanding! That’s why she can’t breathe!” She hesitated, “But we can’t repair the blood vessel here…”

“We’ll have to do an emergency thoracotomy to drain the cavity instead. Nurse!” He called out.

Again, the nurse was immediately at his side. He offered the scalpel and chest tube to Ramsey, but he waved him off — getting him to offer it to the intern. Wrapping her fingers around the scalpel, she gulped as Ethan lifted up the patient’s shirt to expose her rib cage. He attempted to multitask but gestured to the nurse to take over pumping air into the patient with the mask bag.

“Don’t we need a local anesthetic…” Her eyebrows furrowed.

“We’re outta time! Do it now, or this woman’s life is on you!” He said sternly.

The scalpel inching closer, he listened as she started whispering to herself. “Incision at the fifth intercostal space… anterior… to the mid-axillary line…”.

She was smart. Methodical. Ethan had to give her that.

Her hand started to tremble just before contact with the skin, and Ramsey felt himself reach out to her instinctually. He steadied her hand with his, a jolt of electricity waving over him at their touch.

His turned his voice gentle, his blue eyes meeting hers. “Hey… You can do this.”

A newfound resolve settled over her, and her hand almost instantly stopped shaking.

“There you go. Nice and easy.” He nodded approvingly as she made the incision.

Their hands remained together as they gently pushed the breathing tube through the incision — a spurt of blood hitting the intern’s scrubs as the fluid began to drain out of the woman’s chest. A ragged breath gasped from the woman, as she started to breathe again. 

The blonde’s mouth opened in shock, “We… we did it!”

Gesturing over to the nurses on standby, Ethan spoke to them. “She’s stable. Get her into surgery… She’s gonna make it.”

A burst of applause from the onlookers in the waiting room, made him snap back to reality. He turned to watch the intern, who was carefully wiping her forehead being careful not to get any more blood on her. Her eyes seemed brighter after all of that — he assumed adrenaline was pumping through her.

She caught him staring, and she broke out into a smile revealing a line of perfectly white teeth. “Doctor… that was… absolutely amazing!”

Remembering where he was, he dropped the emotion from his face. “You’re right. It’s pretty amazing you didn’t get her killed.”

Her eyes widened in surprise, her pink mouth hanging open, “Wait, what?”

Ethan kept his voice monotone, “Your examination was slow and superficial. Your scalpel technique, amateur at best…”

“Amateur? Maybe you can give me private lessons then.” Jordynne retorted, raising an eyebrow.

He couldn’t help the smile that broke across his face, “Ha! I just might, Doctor…” He reached across, grabbing the ID card hanging off of her pocket. “Holland. But I sincerely doubt you could afford my salary.” He gave her a devilish smirk, before tossing back the plastic card. He turned on his heel, stalking off without a background glance.

_Holland_. So that’s the Rookie he had handpicked. He had to admit she was as good as her application — may be better. He had to reprimand her — she shouldn’t get too confident, too cocky — it would ruin her career before it even started. But she was good — quick, steady hands, sharp mind. And those eyes — but he cut his thoughts off as they approached her appearance. He was not going down that road.

Ramsey used his back to open the door into a nearby OR, finding a sink to wash his hands in. He had remained spotless throughout the emergency — it took years of practice, but it was now his talent to keep his white coat pristine throughout the day. He thought to the Rookie’s blood-covered scrubs and let out a chuckle. He’d have to keep an eye on that one — she was gonna be special.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Rating: T (Swearing)
> 
> Word Count: 3000+
> 
> Description: Jordynne first day at Edenbrook continues, she finds herself finding a moment with Ethan in front of a vending machine and things get hot and heavy in a supply closet. What is it with this hospital? 
> 
> Disclaimer: Characters, storyline, and parts of the dialogue are taken from Pixelberry’s Choices. They fully own the characters, dialogue, backgrounds, etc. MC Jordynne’s background is my own creation, based loosely off of MC in-game’s personality and provided with more details.
> 
> Author’s Note: Here comes part two. I was wrecked after today’s chapter so I couldn’t help just want to power through with my story. A little bit of a filler chapter I won’t lie, but I like to describe what characters are thinking during scenes shown in-game, etc. ALSO, Bryce x MC does happen in my story, because I live for delicious drama and jealousy that will be building between Ethan and Bryce.

PART TWO: 

  
Walking down the brightly lit hallway, Jordynne slowed her pace for a moment — attempting to use this time as a tiny break. It had been a hectic first day at Edenbrook. First, she was thrown into an emergency thoracotomy in the middle of the waiting room with her medical inspiration, Doctor Ethan Ramsey, who then reprimanded her. She still couldn’t believe it had happened — she had met him before orientation had even happened. She had to admit, the little picture in his bio on the back of his textbook did not do him justice. But handsome or not, he was a complete asshole to her. She needed another shot to prove herself to him — she was _not_ just so dumb intern. Second of all, her “partner” Doctor Aurora Emery was off doing god knows what with the Chief, leaving Jordynne completely alone with their first patent. She hadn’t expected to be best friends with anyone right away, but she at least thought they would have each other’s backs in this — but Aurora was _cold. _

Stopping in her tracks, Jordynne realized she had gotten lost in her thoughts and had absolutely no idea where she was anymore. _This is no where near Room 532. _She thought to herself. Looking over her shoulder, she tried to spot something familiar — a nurse’s station, elevator, anything — when something solid ran right into her. 

“Oompf!”She let out, as she was staggered back a bit. She tried hard not to lose her balance. The other person did lose their footing however, and a large thud echoed down the hallway as the textbook they were reading fell to the floor. 

“My bad!! I’m so sorry!” Jordynne blurted out, grabbing onto the young doctor to steady him. 

“No, no, _I’m _sorry, that was probably my fault. I was too busy reading my book.” He said apologetically. Jordynne recognized him from the orientation this morning. He seemed to recognize her too. “Hey, I saw you at orientation. Jordynne Holland, right? I’m Landry… Landry Olsen.” 

Bending over, she picks up his textbook still laying on the ground. When she flipped over the textbook, she noticed the cover and a grin broke out over her face. “Whoa, you’re reading _Diagnostic Principles _by Ethan Ramsey?” 

“Yeah, I totally worship the guy. Shrine in my basement and everything.” When Jordynne didn’t laugh right away he panicked. “Kidding! I’m kidding. I never know if it’s clear when I’m joking.” 

She let out a chuckle, “I got it. But they do say never meet your heroes…” 

Realization dawned on Landry’s face. “Wait! It’s you, isn’t it? Your’e the intern who did the thoracotomy with him this morning?” 

Jordynne’s face flushed in embarrassment. _Did the whole hospital know? _“Yeah. And he ripped me a new one in front of everyone. It was so unbelievably —“ 

But he cut her off. “Lucky!!! Ethan Ramsey actually _talked _to you! Ugh, this is what I get for getting to work an hour early.” 

“I mean, I came to work early too. Just was in the right place I guess.” Jordynne shrugged. 

“If I saw him in person, I’d probably just…” His voice trails off as his face freezes, his eyes going wide. 

“Yeah, it was pretty intimidating but…” She furrowed her eyebrows at the intern. “Landry? You okay?”

Moving his hand, he points behind you with his eyes still wide. Looking of her shoulder, Jordynne spotted Dr Ramsey speaking with a nurse down the hall. Her stomach fluttered. Her eyes went as wide as Landry’s when Ramsey spotted her and started walking over. 

“Oh crap! Uh oh, he’s coming this way. Hide me!” Jordynne started to panic, looking around for somewhere to dip into. 

“Hide _you_?! Hide _me_!” His face was flushed red, his words sputtering. 

Realizing how they must look, Jordynne suddenly straightened up and set her shoulders back. “Ugh! What am I doing? I can’t let my first day go like this! I’m… I’m going to go talk to him.” She said, her face filling with a new found resolve. 

Landry’s mouth hung open. “The man once tore apart the research of the A.M.A.’s president… _during _the president’s keynote address! Are you sure about this?” 

A giant grin spread across Jordynne’s face, “Nope! But I’m doing this. Hey, let me borrow your copy of his book?” She grabbed it from his out-stretched hand, and started marching down the hall towards Doctor Ramsey. She slowed her steps as he was speaking with an elderly patient, who was sitting in her wheelchair in front of the door to her room. 

“I’m not going to ask you again, Barb.” He said patiently, his voice gentle. 

The woman’s voice echoed down the hall, “Forget about it, Dr. Ramsey! I’m busting outta this joint! I’ll tie the bedsheets together and rappel out of the window!”

A warm chuckle escaped him, “Don’t wait up on my account. In fact, I might break out of here with you.” 

She glowered at his laughter, “I mean it! I don’t have my favourite arm chair, and I’m bored without my puzzles!” 

“And _I’m _bored of your excuses, Barb.” He set his hands on his hips, attempting to take control back in the conversation. “Whine all you want, I’m not going anywhere until you take your medication.” A scowl broke across his face as she crossed her arms at him, and huffed. 

Muttering to himself, he turned around to the vending machine across the way — fiddling in his pants pocket for his wallet. Pulling out a dollar bill, he slid it into the machine before standing in front of it, his arms folded around him. He didn’t move to touch another button. 

Jordynne tightened her ponytail before sidling up next to him. “Um. Hi, Dr. Ramsey.” She said nervously. 

He eyed her for a moment, before turning back to the vending machine. “Rookie.” 

She glanced at Landry, who was watching from down the hall — hiding behind a crash cart. “I was hoping you might sign my book.” 

The corners of his mouth flickered down, “Autographs? Don’t you have work to be doing? Or at least another attending to irritate?” 

She couldn’t help the smirk that spread across her pink lips. “No, just you.” 

His eyes flashed to her smile. It was contagious. He forced his mouth into a straight line. “I should have guessed. Well, if you have something else to say, then say it.” His eyes went back to line of snacks in the machine.

“I just wanted to tell you I won’t let you down again.” 

Ramsey still didn’t look back at her, his words coming back quickly. “You can see the future? If so, you will make a remarkable physician.” 

She furrowed her brows, “I just meant —“ 

“You _will _let me down again, Rookie. What’s more, you’ll let yourself down. Over and over.” He finally turned to face her, crossing his arms back over his chest. “But what matters is that you get back on your feet each and every time, and push yourself to be better.”

  
She nodded at him, letting what he said sink in. She noticed him turning back to the vending machine, and she followed his line of sight. His eyes kept flickering back to the chocolate bar in the top corner. She let out a playful sigh, joining him in front of the machine again. “I was always a Geysers Exploding Fruit Snacks girl myself.”

He shook his head at her, finding the neon coloured fruit snacks in the machine. They looked like a child’s snack. “That’s truly fascinating, but I’m not —“ 

But she cut him off. “I know you’re not getting something for yourself. You’re trying to pick something to cheer up Barbara in there, right?” 

He looked at her out of the corner of his eye, “How’d you figure that?” 

“Just paying attention,” She said matter of factly. “You know, I bet I could pick out just the thing.” She bent over, moving her face closer to the vending machine so she could look at all the options. 

Ethan let out a laugh, “I doubt it. Barbara’s even more stubborn than you.” 

Jordynne swallowed when she heard him say that. _He thought she was stubborn? He thought about her?_

“She’s refused to take her pills for two days.” But he waved his hand towards the machine, “Be my guest. It’s a hopeless endeavour.” 

Making her decision, Jordynne finally pressed a button and the machine dropped out a packet of hot chocolate. Grabbing it, she headed to the nearby nurse station and came back with a styrofoam cup steaming with the hot cocoa. She held it out for Ethan, her eyebrows raised in anticipation. 

“Hot chocolate?” He furrowed his eyebrows at her, “How exactly is this supposed to—“ 

She moved the cup out towards him again, “Just give it to her. Trust me.” 

Their fingers grazed as he took the cup from her, a familiar sense of electricity shooting up Jordynne’s hand. She had felt it when he had grabbed her to help with the incision this morning. Chewing on the inside of her lip, she waited for Dr. Ramsey to come back out of Barbara’s room. When he did, she couldn’t help but let out a laugh at the perplexed look on his face.

“It worked… That got her to take her pills. I can’t believe it.” He eyed her up, “So, are you gonna tell me how you worked that one out?” 

A wicked smile spread across her face, “A girl’s gotta have some secrets.” 

He put his hands on his hips, “You’re really going to hold out on me?” 

She bit her pink lip, “I’m going for an air of mystery. Is it working?”

Ethan’s eyes settled on the action, and he tried to hide his gulp. “Mildly.”

She felt her belly get warm at his reaction, and she smiled. Noticing, the two quarters change sitting at the bottom of the vending machine, she reached down at took them. 

“I know interns don’t make a lot, but you’re that desperate for cash?” Ethan joked. 

She rolled her green eyes at him, before digging in her own pocket. She pulled out some other coins, and slide them into the machine. Hiding her selection, she bent down and grabbed another snack from the bottom slit. Facing Ethan, she held out the chocolate bar for him to see. 

His eyes flickered to it, before staring back at her. “And who is that for?” He asked.

“You.” She smiled, tossing it to him. 

He caught it quickly, confusion filling his face. 

“Saw you kept staring at it earlier. You know, it’s okay to treat yourself sometimes.” 

Ethan stared at her shiny lips and the V in her blouse. Gulping again, his eyes shifted to the chocolate in his hands, wrapping his fingers around it. “I’ll keep that in mind.” 

A smile spread across her face, and she turned on her heel to leave. 

“Wait,” He grabbed onto her elbow softly, turning her around. He pointed to his textbook in the crook of her other arm, “Give it here.” Grabbing the book, he clicked his pen before scrawling inside the front cover. He gave it back to her, a smile playing at his lips. “Now get back to work, Holland.” 

_Holland. _There it was again — he used her name, not “Rookie”.She blinked at him, a little taken aback, “You remembered my name?” 

“Just paying attention.” He echoed her from earlier, before walking off in the opposite direction. 

Wandering back to Landry, she opened the book up, “_Don’t let me down. — Dr. Ethan Ramsey_”. She smiled to herself as she read it. 

Handing the book back to Landry, he opened it up and gasped. “You’re still alive! And… I can’t believe it. You got my copy signed!” His fingers skimmed over the autography, “Whoa… That inscription is intense… and I absolutely love it!” In his excitement, he grabbed onto Jordynne in an awkward hug. 

The beeping of her pager broke her back to reality. “Come on. I’m getting paged, and I dunno about you, but I’m still completely lost…” 

“Oh, I can help you! I memorized the layout of the hospital as soon as I got word my application was accepted.” Landry said excitedly, before leading the way. 

* * *

“What the _hell _is going on in here, Rookie?” Dr. Ramsey stood in the door frame, his eyebrows furrowed and a scowl on his face.

“Oh, Doctor Ramsey!” Jordynne gulped but continued her compressions. “She was allergic to the antibiotics I prescribed.” 

His face softened a little at her honest answer, “Well at least you’re taking responsibility. Sometimes patients don’t know about their own allergies. That’s why you always have to be cautious.” 

As she spoke, Jackie injected the epi-pen into Annie’s thigh, and the patient took in a shuddering gasp of air. “Ok, now we can intubate.” She grabbed onto the breathing tube. 

Doctor Ramsey watched Jackie intently, “Excellent work, Doctor…?”

“Varma.”

He crossed his arms at her, “You were assigned to this case?” 

Jackie’s eyes flickered to Jordynne. “No, I was passing and heard Dr. Holland call for a code blue.” 

“The patient’s very lucky you were here. I’m not confident Dr. Holland could have handled this alone.” He glared at Jordynne. 

Biting her lip, Jackie glanced back at Jordynne — unsure of what to do. “Thank you. Just doing my job, Dr. Ramsey.”

Jordynne looked down, nodding her head. “Dr. Varma really bailed me out. I couldn’t have done it without her. Thank you, Dr. Varma.” 

The two met eyes — Jackie realizing she just took full credit for the save. Her eyebrows furrowed a little, wondering why Jordynne did that. “Anytime…” 

Ramsey studied the two before speaking, “Dr. Varma you should return to your own patients.” 

Jackie ducked her down, as she left the room. “Yes, Doctor.” 

Moving into the room more, Ramsey stepped towards Jordynne. “And you… you need to have a long, hard think about whether or not you’re ready to be here.” His blue eyes were steady, he didn’t blink. “It doesn’t matter that it’s your first day, or that you’re still learning. Whether this girl lives or dies is on you.” 

Jordynne felt her heart climb up into her throat. “I know, Dr. Ramsey.” She choked out. She thought back to the Ramsey who she had been laughing with just an hour before. That was long gone now. 

“You still have no idea what’s wrong with her, and your first effort nearly killed her. This is the real world. No room for mistakes —“ 

A perky voice interrupted him, “Hi! Dr. Ramsey, sorry to interrupt.” 

He inhaled sharply through his nose, “For the love of God, what now?” He whipped around the face the petite doctor. 

“One of the nurses told me… that one of the other interns told _them…_ that one of the doctors said…”

His anger flared. “Get. To. The. Point.” 

She gulped, “Dr. Toussaint needs to see you urgently!” 

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Ramsey muttered something underneath his breath. Moving to the door, he paused to turn to speak once more. “Remember what I said, Rookie. Next time I see you, you’d better have solved this case.” He pointed his finger at Annie’s unconscious body, before stalking away. 

A shaky breathe escaped Jordynne as Dr. Ramsey left the room. She tried to blink and pay attention as the petite intern started talking to her, but her mind was swimming with Ramsey's words. The petite intern, Doctor Sienna Trinh, did her best to cheer Jordynne up — inviting her to join her and some other interns at a bar near the hospital after their shift. She agreed, but she still just couldn’t shake Ramsey’s words. 

* * *

An hour later Jordynne found herself in a dark supply closet, tears welling in her eyes. Ramsey’s words and Annie’s unconscious face kept replaying in her mind as she helped her other patients. Taking deep breaths, she tried to calm herself down when suddenly the door opened. She froze as the surgical intern from this morning in the locker room walked in.

“I feel like I’m interrupting something,” Bryce said, shutting the door behind him quickly at the sight Jordynne. 

Her breath hitched a little at the sight of the surgical intern. The image of him half-naked from earlier in the morning was seared into her mind. _Was that really just this morning? _The day was starting to feel so long that meeting him felt like days ago. 

She had to admit — he was hot. Like Pictogram model, lead in a rom-com hot. Jordynne usually wasn’t the type to care about looks but, _god _was he cute. And funny. Was she still thinking? Had she said any words to him yet? She wiped at her eyes, making sure no tears had fallen down her cheeks. 

He squeezed in next to her, his eyes filled with concern when noticed her gesture. “Hey, hey, hey. What’s wrong?” He grabbed onto the sides of her shoulders. 

“My first patient almost died. It was my fault…” She shook her head, her blonde ponytail waving, “Maybe… maybe I’m not cut out for this. I’ve dreamed of doing it my entire life… but that doesn’t mean I’m ready.” 

Bryce’s thick brows furrowed, “Wow. You managed for years of med school, but four hours here and you’re surrendering? Didn’t take you for a quitter.”

Her eyes flashed up to his, “You just met me.”

He smirked, “True. But if every hospital employee whoever hid in a supply closet quit, there’d be nobody here but the patients.” 

She felt defensive suddenly, “No offense, but what do you know about it?” 

Despite her tone, he still smiled at her,” Let’s just say this isn’t the first supply closet I found a stressed-out doctor in today.” 

She looked him up and down, “Well, _you_ don’t seem overwhelmed. So what do I do? How do I handle it all?”

He shrugged, “You’ve got two options. One, breeze through life with an unshakable self-assurance like me. Or, two… ride it out.” 

Jordynne let out a chuckle, “Ride it out? That’s not the great advice you think it is.” 

His face turned serious, “Of course you’re overwhelmed. You’re a _doctor._ It’s one of the toughest jobs there is, and you’re on your first day. If you don’t give _yourself_ a chance to make mistakes, to get better… nobody else will.”

“Okay. I’ll try.”

“Good,” He smiled, “Because I’d hate to lose you so quick. Is there anything else you need?” His hand moved down her forearm. 

She shivered at the touch, “I could probably use a hug.” She laughed. 

"Alright, come here.” He opened his arms, and pulled her into him.

Jordynne leaned into the gesture — his warm arms wrapping around her easily. He smelled salty and warm — sunny like a beach. She rested her cheek against his strong shoulder, closing her eyes for a moment. “This is nice. You’re a pretty good hugger.” 

His chuckle reverberated through him, and she felt it through his chest. “One of my many talents.” 

Moving her face back, her green eyes met his brown ones. The pair both realized how close they really were. 

“Hey, wait a second. Was this just a plot of yours to get me alone in here?” He laughed, but the sound was muffled as Jordynne crashed her lips onto his.

A surprised noise escaped Bryce’s mouth before he returned her kiss. He grabbed onto her hips, pulling her into him as he deepened it. The kiss turned hard, and he pressed her up against the storage room shelves — boxes and supplies falling to the floor at their feet. 

Usually, a million things were rushing through Jordynne’s head — but at that moment all she could think about was his lips on hers. She wrapped her leg around his side, pulling him in tighter as their kisses turned more frantic. “God, you’re incredible…”. 

Jordynne felt her face flush at his comment. She hadn’t kissed anyone since her ex Brooks, back in Oregon. And she had to admit, she had missed this. She felt Bryce’s fingers slip underneath her lab coat, toying with the hem of her blouse before inching it upwards. 

The door opened, and Jordynne stiffened up. Bryce however, kept his hands on her — moving his body to cover hers from sight. “Could we get some privacy, man?” 

It was a Resident. “Oh, by all means. I’m _so _sorry to intrude! I’ll just wait out here til you’re done. Of, if I may be so bold… might you hand me a suture kit?” 

Bryce reached over top of Jordynne, grabbing a box and tossing it back to the Resident. He flashed him a megawatt smile. 

“Much obliged.” The Resident said through gritted teeth, before slamming the closet door shut. 

A breath escaped Jordynne, “Maaaaaaybe we should get back to work.” 

He didn’t move his hands from her waist, “That guy did kinda kill the mood, huh?” He finally let her go — running his hands through his mop of hair. Pausing at the door, Bryce bit his lip and looked her up and down one more time. “Hope I cheered you up a little.” 

Jordynne couldn’t help the smile on her face, “Just a little.” 

He winked one his brown eyes, before shutting the door behind him. 

Sighing deeply, she leaned against the supply shelves — thinking. This was the strangest first day _ever. _


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Rating: T (Swearing, Kissing)
> 
> Word Count: 3700+
> 
> Description: Ethan cannot “get” the Rookie – he can’t figure out the mystery, and it’s driving him crazy. A trip to Donahue’s and a couple glasses of scotch might make it better - or not. 
> 
> Disclaimer: Characters, storyline, and parts of the dialogue are taken from Pixelberry’s Choices. They fully own the characters, dialogue, backgrounds, etc. MC Jordynne’s background is my own creation, based loosely off of MC in-game’s personality and provided with more details.
> 
> Author’s Note: Here it comes: the jealousy… Eek! I really like flipping things from in-game and turning them into Ethan’s point of view. There are definitely more updates to come!

PART THREE: 

Ethan rapped his hands on his wooden desk, breathing in through his nose deeply. Every orientation day was frustrating but this one topped all the rest. The Rookie, _Holland — _she got under his skin. He stared at the chocolate bar she got him, sitting on his desk — untouched. _“You know, it’s okay to treat yourself sometimes.” _Her voice echoed in his head, as he played with the corner of the wrapping. 

She exasperated him — he reprimanded her in front of the entire waiting room, he scolded her with her first patient, praised Verma over her. But she still bought him the chocolate, she teased him back, stood up to him. He had taken this approach before with interns — tough love, a strong mentor to give them a backbone. But someone who would also leave him alone, for fear of further yelling or discipline. 

But she was so different, somehow.She took his advice to heart, she _let _Verma take the credit for the save. Hell, she even went out of her way to help him with Barbara and her medication. He couldn’t figure her out. He didn’t get it. He was a world-class diagnostician — how could he not _get _her yet. 

Glancing down at this leather watch, Ramsey realized it had been a few hours since he had last seen the Rookie. He would give her about one more hour, before stepping in with her patient. Grabbing his white coat off of the back of his chair, Ethan slid it on and adjusted the sleeves in front of the mirror on the back of his door. Tousling his hair slightly — he suddenly stopped himself. _Who was he grooming himself for? _Shaking his head, he went to grab onto the door handle when his pager went off. He was being paged down to Holland’s patient. She had figured it out — or was asking for help. Either way, Ethan was curious to see what she wanted. 

He stood just outside of room 532 for a moment, watching as Dr. Holland spoke with her now conscious patient. Her ponytail was becoming less and less perfect throughout the day — pieces of it falling over the nape of her neck and down her temples, framing her face. The white lab coat she had changed into after their emergency in the waiting room was still clean — a little wrinkled though. 

She was speaking candidly, as her patient apologized to her. “You have nothing to be sorry for Annie.” 

“But if I would have known about my allergy, you wouldn’t have gotten in trouble with that hot doctor.” He heard the young girl say. 

A soft laugh escaped Jordynne’s mouth, “You don’t need to worry about Dr. Ramsey and I. I’m just glad you’re okay now.” 

Ethan felt his face flush red, as he heard Doctor Holland link together he was the “hot doctor — heat spread down his neck. He had overheard some of the nurses and interns calling him that before, but he usually just rolled his eyes or ignored them. Now, he almost felt a twinge of a smile on his face. Suddenly, he couldn’t handle hearing anything else and he stepped into the room announcing himself with a cough. 

Jordynne met his eyes, an uneasy smile spreading across her face. 

“I’m told you wanted to see me?” He said, raising his eyebrows at her. 

She nodded, grabbing onto the railings on her patient’s bed. “Annie’s going to be okay.”

“That’s good news. I imagine this wasn’t a random miracle…,” Folding his arms across his chest, he leaned his shoulder against the doorframe. “So? I’m waiting to hear whatever brilliant insight you arrived at.” He tried to hide his curiosity — D_id she actually figure it out? Or was it another failed attempt? _

“I wanna know too!” Her patient said, using her elbows to sit up a little straighter. 

“It was never the bacteria. But it was something that happened on her trip to Indonesia.” She turned her eyes back to her patient, “Annie, you told me you ‘went for’ your scuba license. You didn’t say you go it.” 

The patient’s face reddened with embarrassment. “Because I _didn’t_ get it.”

"You also told me that you’re prone to panic attacks when you get stressed out. Annie, did you have a panic attack while you were diving?” 

She nodded, “I always wanted to go scuba diving… but once I got down there, I just totally freaked out.”

“And you resurfaced too quickly.” Jordynne handed her patient’s chart to Ethan. “The result? Decompression sickness and labyrinthitis.” She noticed the confusion cross her patients face, "Annie, that’s an inflammation of your inner ear, which caused your vertigo and nausea.” 

Annie blinked, starting to understand what was wrong with her. “Oh!”

Ethan still leaned against the doorframe, the clipboard hanging in his hand lazily. “And what treatment do you recommend, Dr. Holland?”

“The symptoms can be eased with antihistamines… but the condition itself can only be treated with time.”

Annie’s face fell, “How much time?”

She grabbed onto her shoulder gently, “You can’t rush it, but within a few weeks, you’ll feel like yourself again.” 

“Thank you so much, Dr. Holland.” She smiled at her, her eyes filling with tears.

Ethan swiveled on his heel, heading out into the hallway. He waited for Jordynne to follow. 

“So, I’ll fill out a prescription for some extra-strength antihistamines…” She started jotting it down on her pad, but he grabbed onto her pen. He clicked it closed and placed it back on her clipboard. 

“Don’t bother. I already have.” Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the printed out prescription order and held it out for her. 

She stared at him, her pink mouth opening up in surprise. “You knew? When were you gonna tell me?” 

He glanced back down at his watch, “I’d planned to give you another forty-five minutes. I pulled up Annie’s chart to diagnose it myself, in the likely event you blew it.” He crossed his arms, staring at her, “_But_ I wanted to give you the chance to right the ship, first.” 

“Thank you… For giving me the chance.” She said, hugging the clipboard to her chest. 

He narrowed his eyes at her, “Hm. I would’ve expected you to be angry.”

She shrugged, “No, I appreciate your help. But I’m never gonna learn if someone’s always holding my hand.” 

He smiled at her, surprised that they were in agreement. “My thoughts exactly. But you showed your potential. Not to mention maybe the most important trait a doctor can have.”

“What’s that?” 

“You _listened_.” He stared at her, admiring her. “You took the time to get to know your patient. Their story, their hopes, their fears… Sometimes those are the key to saving their life.” 

Suddenly, Harper’s niece stalked up to the pair of them — looking flustered. “What the hell? You went and presented without me?” She glared at Jordynne, her arms raised up in the air. 

Before Jordynne could reply, Ethan stepped in front of her. “Annie was your patient as well, Dr. Emery. What the hell have you been doing while Dr. Holland was making a diagnosis?” 

Holland moved past him, stepping up to her. “Sorry, Dr. Emery. I should have kept you updated on the developments.” Ethan looked back at her, eyebrows furrowing in confusion again. _Why does she keep doing that? Defending Doctors who are ready to throw her under the bus. _

Dr. Emery’s glare softened slightly, “It’s okay. I wasn’t here. This was your win.” 

Looking between the two of them, Ethan spoke again. “Dr. Holland, hospitals run on communication. Keep each other apprised.” 

She nodded, keeping her eye on his — undeterred. “Yes, Dr. Ramsey.” 

He turned his finger towards the other woman, “And, Dr. Emery? Patient assignments are _not _optional.” Looking back at Jordynne once more, he gave her a nod before stalking off towards the nurses’ station. Glancing back at his watch, he realized his shift was almost over. Flipping through some charts, to keep him busy until his watch neared 9:00 o’clock. He let out a loud sigh as the large hand finally hit the nine, and he started heading towards the locker room to change. _Longest orientation day ever. _

* * *

Loud music could be heard from the sidewalk outside of Donahue’s, lights flickering from the inside, and people going in and out for breaks. Ethan slid in through the open door, stalking over to his regular stool on the edge of the bar.

He wasn’t sure why — but he loved it here. It was the furthermost thing from his style — with the tacky neon signs, Christmas lights up year-round, and a jukebox playing music he couldn’t stand. But most days of the week, Ethan found himself sitting on that stool, nursing a drink, listening to the awful music and watching the tacky lights. 

Reggie placed a scotch tumbler on a white napkin in front of him, without Ramsey even having to ask. He gave him a curt nod, before grabbing onto it. Raising it to his lips, he took a swig — relishing in the warmth that spread down his throat into his belly. 

He stared around at the patrons of the bar, studying them. There were a lot of his colleagues there that night — a lot of interns. The surgical interns were crowded around the dartboards — passing pitchers of beer and being rowdy. They reminded him of a fraternity. A few residents sat at a booth together, trying to wave Ethan over to join them — but he just gave them a nod, grabbing onto his scotch for another swig. 

Just as the liquor went into his mouth, he noticed her — Dr. Holland. He coughed a little, finishing his swig — the sight of her making him gulp. She was wearing a tiny little number; a green shirt wrapped around her torso — leaving her shoulders and midriff bare. A black bralette peeking through, and a golden locket falling in between her cleavage. High-waisted jean shorts hugged her hips, showing off her lean tan legs. 

She had just finished a shot, placing the glass back onto the table. Her face scrunched up at the taste of the liquor before she tossed her head back laughing with some other medical interns. She had let her blonde hair out her ponytail — her wavy, long tresses falling down her back wildly. 

The small group all raised their glasses together in a toast. He moved his eyes away from the group, feeling a wave of loneliness. He shook his head at himself — that’s _why_ he came here, to be alone. To distance himself from the hospital, to enjoy his drink and talk to nobody. 

Suddenly a voice shouted over the loud music, causing Ethan to turn around with a frown on his face. “Hey, Jordynne! Get over here, I’ve got a game for you!” A surgical intern was holding up some darts, waving them in the air at her — taunting her. 

Ethan grimaced at him, turning back around — his eyes set on hers. He pursed his lips into a straight line — nodding his head to her. Before she could react, he turned his back to the TV on the top of the bar. He watched out of the corner of his eye, and she strutted over to the other side of the bar. 

Heat spread over his neck, as he heard the surgical intern whistle low at her as she approached. _Disrespectful. _He thought.

Ethan found himself angling his body, so he could keep watching her. He would flick his eyes back to the screen every once in a while, as though not to be too obvious.

“You _really_ scrub up nice.” Bryce grabbed onto her, his hand resting on the bare skin on the small of her back. “Everyone, this is Dr. Jordynne Holland, the only _good_ medical intern. Jordynne this is everyone.” 

“Welcome to the party!” There were clinks of glasses as the group met each other. 

The surgical intern licked his lips, “So, have you decided to switch teams? There’s still time, you know.” 

Ethan furrowed his brows — she wouldn’t switch to be a surgical intern… _Would she? _

A laugh escaped her lips, a sweet sound in Ethan’s ears, “Sorry, I still prefer the part where I get to talk with my patients rather than cut them open.”

_Good girl. _Ethan thought to himself, smiling as he took a swig.

“Hey, we talk! I had a great conversation with a sweet old guy this afternoon. And _then_ I watched my resident remove a lobe of his right lung.” 

“Okay, that’s… actually pretty cool.” She looped her fingers through her belt loops, “So, darts, huh? I don’t wanna embarrass you in front of your surgery friends.” A confident smile spread across her face.

Bryce sized her up, “I think I can handle you. I’m a surgeon, remember? Very good with my hands.” 

Ethan couldn’t help but roll his eyes — G_od, this guy was a flirt. _

“But if you’re feeling cocky, we could place a little bet…” He offered.

“Fine. I’ll wager… a kiss.” She gave him a flirtatious look, licking her pink lips shiny. 

The group of surgical interns started whistling loudly, shouting at Bryce to win the game.

Ethan went to take another swig of his scotch but found his glass empty. “Hey, Reggie.” The bartender acknowledged him from down the bar, starting to grab him another glass. 

He had tried to stop watching them — she was an intern, she could play games with whomever she wanted, share drinks with whomever she wanted. But as they got to their last darts, he couldn’t help but glance at Jordynne out of the corner of his eye. The surgical intern was shooting — Jordynne was standing right behind him, on her tiptoes so she could reach up to speak to him — her chest pushed up against his back. Even from his seat at the bar, Ethan watched as she brushed her lips on his ear, whispering to him. An involuntary shudder went through Ramsey as he imagined her doing that to him.

Bryce’s dart went wide at her touch — causing him to lose the game. “Yes!” Holland screamed, throwing her hands up in the air — high-fiving a few of her friends that were watching. The group of surgical interns booed from the sidelines. Ethan smirked a little. _Of course, she won_. 

“I believe you owe me.” Jordynne jabbed a finger playfully into Bryce’s chest. 

Ethan had forgotten what they wagered until now. 

Bryce grabbed onto Jordynne’s wrist, gently pulling her into him. “I _am_ a man of my word…”. He hooked his arm around her waist, their faces inches apart. He said something to her, his voice too low for anyone else to hear. Suddenly, he dipped Jordynne dramatically backward, balancing her in his arms and they kissed. Different catcalls echoed throughout the bar, as the pair finally stood up and Jordynne pulled him back in for a second longer kiss. Ethan finally swiveled around his stool — having seen enough.

Grabbing onto his newly refreshed drink, he finished it in a large swig. That wasn’t a _first kiss kind of kiss. _He had had enough in his day to recognize that. He furrowed his brows as he thought — _Did they know each other before Edenbrook?_ He didn’t get it. Shaking his head, Ethan got mad at himself — _Why do I care? _

The sound of a stool scraping nearby, caused him to perk up — sitting a little straighter.  He watched as Dr. Holland hopped up onto the stool next to him, eyeing her out of the corner of his eye. He didn’t say anything. 

She spoke first, swinging her legs on the stool so she could face him. “Something wrong, Dr. Ramsey?” 

He glanced over to her, “Just noticing how… _different_ you look out in the real world.” 

A smile broke across her face, and she started playing with the gold locket around her neck. “You too Doctor. I like you without the white coat.” Her green eyes lingered on the few buttons he had kept undone on his shirt. 

The bartender approached the pair, pausing in front of them. His eyes widened at Ramsey’s already empty glass — it hadn’t lasted very long. Reggie put his hands down on the counter, “So, what will it be?” 

Before Ethan could speak, he watched as Holland eyed his glass — she was trying to guess what he was drinking. “We’ll have two scotches, neat.” She ordered with a smile. When the drinks arrived, she slid one over to Dr. Ramsey, before picking up her own. 

He grabbed onto the glass, smiling at her with approval. “Why neat instead of on the rocks?” He questioned. 

She didn’t miss a beat. “The ice changes the flavor.” Raising the glass to her lips, she took a hearty swig. 

He smiled again, he couldn’t help it. “Right answer. But you know I can’t be bribed into favoring you, right?” 

She chewed her lip, “It’s just a thank you.”

“For what?” 

Her green eyes met his blue ones, “For pushing me to be better today.”

Ethan let out a breath, before grabbing onto his drink and finishing another one in one long sip. That was the first time someone had ever _thanked him_ for being an asshole. He could get used to Holland. Signaling over the bartender again, he ordered the pair another round of drinks. “Two specials. Thanks, Reggie.” 

The man let out a laugh, raising an eyebrow at the sight of the two sitting together. “Only for you, Ethan.” 

Jordynne squinted at him, “Your on first name terms with the bartender?” 

Ramsey shrugged, “He’s an old friend. I come here most nights.” 

She put her elbow on the bar, propping her head up with her hand as she asked, “You don’t have anyone waiting at home?” 

He hesitated — he thought of his empty two-bedroom apartment downtown. His dog Jenner was at his neighbor’s tonight, so only a dry plant in his living room really required his attention at home. He thought about what it would like to have someone waiting — have a home-cooked meal with a partner, to hear tiny feet (that weren’t paws) run to the door in excitement when he came home after a long shift. Shaking his head, he snapped back to reality. “I’ll come here even when I do. I need some buffer between the hospital and the world. An airlock.” He let out a sigh, “Don’t take the job home with you, Jordynne.” 

She nodded, looking like she took his advice seriously. “I’ll keep that in mind… but you didn’t answer my question.”

Ethan looked at her — he knew she wasn’t going to drop it. “No. Nobody waiting at home tonight.” 

Before she could ask anything else about it, Reggie set down the mixed drinks onto the bar in front of them. “Here, try this.” Ethan matched her, taking a sip at the same time. He licked his lips, savoring the sweet and sour flavor. “Well, how’s it compare?” 

Her eyes went wide as she swallowed, “It’s amazing!” 

He rolled his eyes at her, “Either you’re sucking up to me, or…” He trailed off, a smile setting on his face. “You’ve got surprisingly refined taste for an intern.” 

She flicked her blonde hair over her shoulder, smirking at him. “I’m surprising in a lot of ways.” 

He tried to hide his gulp as the smell of her shampoo and perfume wafted towards him with her movement — she smelt like orange blossoms and jasmine. “You’ll have to prove that.” 

He grabbed onto his glass, raising it up to her in a toast. “To your intern year. In the hopes, you don’t _completely _blow everything you’ve worked your whole life for.” 

"Morbid. I like it.” She let out a laugh as they clinked their glasses together. 

Taking out his wallet, Ethan placed a few bills underneath his drinks, waving at Reggie. “Well, Rookie it’s probably about time you go collect your friends over there before they have to go back to the hospital to get their stomachs pumped.” 

Jordynne’s fingers went to the bills on the table, grabbing them and folding them up. She tucked them into the breast pocket of his sweater, before tapping it with her hand. “I said it was a thank you. It’s on me.” 

He furrowed his eyebrows, “I had more before you came over —“ 

“Ramsey.” She looked up at him with big eyes, “Just let me do this. Besides, like my new friend Elijah said — I’m 100K in debt anyways. What’s a couple of scotches gonna matter?” 

He let out a chuckle, “Fine Rookie. You win this time. Only this _one_ time. Got it?” 

She let out a big smile, revealing her white teeth. “Understood. You like to be in control.” She winked at him, “See you tomorrow Doctor Ramsey.” 

* * *

Ethan took the long way back to the hospital, shoving his hands into his pockets as he walked — enjoying the fresh air. It had been a _long_ day. Longer than usual. He couldn’t be bothered to go home — he was just going to have to be back in four hours anyway. Like he had said to Jordynne — he also had no reason to go home. He thought of his leather sofa waiting for him in the hospital and let out a sigh.

As he neared the front entrance, he fumbled in his pockets for his key fob. He heard a commotion on one of the nearby paths, and he glanced over as he approached the doors. It was the group of medical interns from Donahue’s, holding onto each other, laughing and joking. They were all excitedly chatting about something before dispersing in their separate directions. 

Holding onto the door handle, he watched as Jordynne walked off with one of the petite interns — her blonde hair waving in the breeze, her arms wrapped around herself in an attempt to stay warm. He was relieved to see that the surgical intern wasn’t with her — not that it was any of his business. 

Shaking his head at himself, Ethan stalked into the hospital trying to get the mysterious, blonde intern out of his head. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Rating: T (Swearing, Kissing)
> 
> Word Count: 4500+
> 
> Description: Jordynne moves out of her Harry Potter room and into the apartment with the other medical interns. She gets a glimpse into Ethan’s world when she learns of his past relationship and meets one of his friends.
> 
> Disclaimer: Characters, storyline, and parts of the dialogue are taken from Pixelberry’s Choices. They fully own the characters, dialogue, backgrounds, etc. MC Jordynne’s background is my own creation, based loosely off of MC in-game’s personality and provided with more details.
> 
> Author’s Note: This chapter is establishing some history for my MC Jordynne Holland. I love the PB doesn’t get too specific with your MC for Open Heart. I also, got super nerdy and made a fake “pictogram” post for her, because it gets brought up in the chapter. I’m just a little extra. This chapter is leading up to one of my favorite (although devastating chapters) scenes in OH so far.

PART FOUR

Looking at the frigid, concrete storage closet she used to call a room Jordynne couldn’t help but smile. Pulling out her phone, she quickly snapped a picture before shoving it in the back pocket of her jeans. Sienna was sitting on a metal suitcase, waiting patiently as she finished up. “All good to go?” She asked excitedly, jumping off and grab the handle. 

“Hell. Yes.” Jordynne exclaimed, grabbing onto a cardboard box and pushing it onto her hip. “You guys okay with that?” 

Landry gave her a thumbs up from the top of the stairs, where he is was balancing the top of the mattress. “Totally!” 

She looked to Bryce, standing at the bottom of the stairs, holding the majority of the weight, “I’m pretty sure you’re stronger than Landry.” He whispered to her.

“Pretty sure? Don’t make me kick your ass Lahela.” She flashed him a smile.

“Okay. You definitely are stronger than him. I feel like he was just spotting me when we moved your bed frame.” 

Everyone started maneuvering their way up the stairs, using the backdoor to go out onto the driveway where Jackie was waiting with the moving van. 

“Thank god I was only renting here on a month by month basis,” Jordynne said, sliding her little box into the back of the truck. She looked back at the house, scrunching her nose up at it. 

Landry smacked the side of the truck once her mattress was inside safely. “Okay, all set!” He said, rushing back over to jump in the passenger seat. 

Sienna jumped to grab the cord to close the back, before rushing off to her little Kia parked out front. “Come on Jordynne!!” She squealed with excitement. 

  
She lingered for a moment, finding Bryce leaning up against the side of the truck. “Thank you,” She wandered up to him, ”I owe you big time.” 

  
“You owe me, hey?” A devilish grin crossed his face, and he quickly gripped her hands pulling her into him, “I think you still owe me from the last favour I helped you with.” 

  
A smile flashed across Jordynne’s face as she remembered Bryce sneaking her into the observatory of the OR to watch Banerji and Ramsey. “I’ll add it to my tab?” She asked cheekily, pressing her lips softly to his. 

  
Bryce’s lips hungrily pulled her in for more, his teeth biting her lip a little. The beeping alarm of his Apple Watch reminded them of the time. He pulled away reluctantly, “I gotta getting going if I’m gonna get it to the hospital on time.” 

“And I,” she glanced at Jackie who was watching the pair of them through the side mirror, a furrow in her brow, “Have some new roommates who have been patiently waiting for me.”   


Walking with him down the driveway, they waved Jackie down so she could reverse out. Sienna started her car, rolling down the window. “Thanks for the help Lahela! You’ll definitely be invited to the house warming now!” Her tiny voice called out.

“House party hey? I’ll be there.” He grabbed onto Jordynne’s arm in a silent goodbye, “Make sure you dibs the best room Holland!” He called after her as he started jogging down the street, towards the hospital. 

Jordynne ducked her head inside Sienna’s little car, before buckling up. Once she was ready to go, she found her friend smiling at her. “What?” She asked, her eyebrows furrowed. 

“Come on, Roomie. You gonna tell me what’s up with you two?” 

“Who two?” She asked in confusion, “Me and Bryce?” She asked, realization dawning on her. “Nothing!” 

“Hmmm... Nothing seems like a real good kisser to me.” Sienna smiled at her, her hand playing with the air as it hung out of the car window.

Jordynne flushed, “I mean,” She let out a breathy laugh. “Okay, yeah he is. But that’s all it’s been. It’s _Bryce_ you know.” 

Sienna scowled at her, her eyebrows furrowed — signaling she did not know. 

“Carefree, go with the flow, can flirt with anything with a heartbeat Bryce.” She chewed her lip, “Whatever this is, it won’t be serious. We are two full-time doctors anyways — who has the time for a full-blown relationship between 14-hour shifts and overtime.”

“Me!” Sienna exclaimed, “Wayne and I make the time.” 

Jordynne noticed her fingers twitch on the steering wheel slightly as she spoke. She didn’t quite believe her. “Yeah, well…,” She looked out the passenger window, avoiding eye contact, “I don’t. And after Brooks, I’m not sure I’d want to anyway.” 

“Brooks?” She questioned, glancing over at her friend as they waited to turn.

Jordynne wracked her head against the window lightly, “My ex in Oregon.”

“Oh. Newly ex-boyfriend?” 

Jordynne gulped, “He broke up with me a couple of days after I got my acceptance for residency at Edenbrook.”

“What?!” Sienna shouted, her little voice projecting through the car. “Why?” 

She turned her face away from hers, looking out at the window at the Boston skyline. “He said he didn’t want to compete — for my attention in a new city with a new job and new friends. But things had started getting rocky before my acceptance — I was in my final year of med school. I spent all my time studying, and in labs, and working. He barely got my attention living on the same campus, never mind if I was living on the other side of the country.” 

“How long did you guys date for?” 

She finally let herself look at Sienna, pushing back tears, “Five years.” 

Her eyes widened, “He threw away five years because of long-distance?” 

“No. He threw away five years because he knew I would rather be a damn good doctor than just someone’s girlfriend.” Wiping the few tears that broken through, she ground her teeth together in a moment of resolve.

“Wow. I’m really sorry Jordynne.” Sienna left one hand on the steering wheel, the other one grabbing onto her friend’s hand. “You _are_ a damn good doctor. One of the best I know actually.” 

She mumbled an embarrassed thanks before the pair sat in silence for a bit. They pulled in behind the moving van in front of their apartment building — Landry, Jackie, and Elijah were already on the sidewalk unloading. 

“Hey roomies!” Elijah shouted enthusiastically, rolling over to them with a couple of boxes balancing on his lap. “Jordynne, we need a new nickname for you! You don’t live in the cupboard under the stairs anymore!”

“Chosen One no more.” Landry laughed, grabbing a nightstand from the truck. “What do we call you now?”

Jordynne furrowed her brows, “My name?” 

Jackie flashed her a devilish grin, “Nice try Holland. We’ll come up with something.” 

A laugh escaped Jordynne’s pink lips as she looked at the time on her phone, “If we hurry, we can get the TV set up then we won’t miss the game.” 

Everyone but Elijah looked up to her in confusion, “The game?” 

Elijah’s brown eyes went wide. “You like baseball?!” 

Jordynne scoffed, “I’m a Holland. I _love_ baseball.” 

He grinned at her, “Oh my god. Yes!!! No one but my dad will watch games with me. Please tell me you’re a Cubs fan?” 

She smirked, crossing her arms over her chest, “Try the Dodgers.” 

His smile only grew bigger, “I can change that.” 

Jordynne barked out a laugh, “My brother has been trying to get me to be a Giants fan for like 15 years. It’s not going to happen.” But the pair bumped fists anyway. 

“How about you guys multitask — baseball talk and bringing our boxes up to the apartment at the same time?” Jackie asked, her voice strained as she picked up a heavy plastic container marked ‘textbooks’_. _

Straining her neck, Jordynne looked up at the massive apartment building in front of them— a big smile spreading across her face. _No more concrete closet bedroom, no more guilty-tripping boyfriends. Just Jordynne in her new city, with her new jobs and her new friends._

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Jordynne scrolled the replies on her pictogram photo, smiling as her friends and family congratulated her on her first apartment. A giant smile spreading across her face as she read them.

> **kenziexoxo**: It looks so massive compared to your old dorm room [😂](https://emojipedia.org/face-with-tears-of-joy/) Also, I spy that green dress Jordy, that is totally _mine!_ Congrats babe [💖](https://emojipedia.org/sparkling-heart/)
> 
> **j.holland**: Proud of you Smartie. You can toss that Dodgers hat out though [🙄](https://emojipedia.org/face-with-rolling-eyes/)
> 
> **caaaaaarter**: Can’t wait to stay in Boston for FREE now when I visit. That room is big enough for me to crash, right? 

Her blonde hair sprawled as she laid down on her new bedspread. All of the roommates had gone to USKEA the day before — everyone chipped on the yellow sectional and dining room table that could _actually _fit all five of them and guests on it. Jordynne had picked up some extra stuff too — curtains, plants, a record player — determined to make Boston her new home. 

It wasn’t really hard calling Boston her new home. She missed her family and friends for sure, but her new roommates were beyond amazing. Sienna was putting on breakfast spreads almost every day and gave the best advice; Elijah knew baseball inside and out and was always smiling; Landry was the best study buddy and definitely the mom of the group; and Jackie was always making Jordynne laugh, even if she didn’t mean to. 

Glancing down at her watch, she realized they had better start heading to the hospital. Smoothing down her blouse, she headed into the living room. “Hey guys, you ready to head out?” 

Sleepy groans greeted her in reply, all of them shuffling to their feet — grabbing messenger bags, travel mugs, and headphones. Sienna forced blueberry scones into everyone’s hands as they went through the front door. They had started this routine together in the morning — their shift rotation was still the same for now, so they would all take the subway together. Jordynne sat quietly next to Jackie — both of them had their headphones in, not talking until they started walking to the hospital. 

Sipping the final drags of her coffee, Jordynne stuffed the empty travel mug next to her messenger bag in her locker. She put on her white coat, folding up the sleeves a bit before giving everyone a wave. 

Walking past the receptionist desk, she recalled the previous night — hiding behind it as she watched Dr. Banerji and Dr. Ramsey arguing. She looked to the hole that Ramsey had punched into a wall in his anger, to find that it was already being patched up by one of the construction workers from the new wing. 

Jordynne still couldn’t believe that Dr. Banerji had retired — it seemed so out of the blue. _Was that really why Ramsey punched the wall in anger? _She knew he was his mentor, but it seemed a little extreme. She had never seen anybody that angry before in her entire life — it had kind of scared her. 

Grabbing onto her patient’s chart, she started reading over the notes from the night shift as she walked down the hallway. Jordynne headed into the elevator, clicking on floor five without evening looking up. Not only were the five roommates getting into a morning routine at the apartment, but they were also really starting to feel comfortable in Edenbrook. 

Heading towards her patient’s room, Jordynne’s feet slowed down as she heard Dr. Ramsey’s voice from a nearby room. “This is preposterous, Harper! They’re _not_ ready!” 

She walked by the room slowly, glancing through the slats of the blinds in the window. Chief Emery was in the room with him. They were standing close together — Ramsey was fuming, but Emery seemed calm, a small smile spreading across her face.

“Oh, Ethan…” Chief Emery said his voice gently, reaching up and putting her hand softly on his cheek. The tactic worked, because the next words out of his mouth were much quieter — so quiet Jordynne couldn’t hear them. 

Jordynne’s mouth opened in shock, “_Wait, what? Are they a thing?” _Her eyebrows raised on her forehead in surprise, before she started to trip on her feet. _Gotta get outta here. _She tore away in the opposite direction without looking back at the room. 

As she turned the corner, two familiar people brought a smile to her face. “Kyra!” Jordynne lifted her hands in surprise, placing one of them onto the patient’s forearm. 

“Good to see you, Doc!” Kyra beamed up at her. 

Bryce was at the top of her bed, and he wheeled her to a stop. He grinned at Jordynne. The pair met each other’s stares before Jordynne looked back down at the patient. “I haven’t seen you since the surgical interns stole you away.” 

Bryce scoffed playfully, “You say ‘stole’. I say ‘rightfully took a surgical case’.” 

The patient’s brown eyes flickered between the two of them, “Hang on, two _hot _doctors fighting over me? Did this cancer get me, because this feels like a ‘died and gone to heaven’ thing…” 

She blushed at the comment but ignored it. “You have a _very_ morbid sense of humor, Kyra. So your surgery is soon?” 

Glancing up at the clock on the wall, Bryce answered, “It’s right now. A lobectomy, assisted by yours truly.” 

She looked at Bryce startled, “What? Kyra! You’re having a lobe of your lung removed today?”

Kyra shrugged casually, “I know, right? It happened kind of fast after the CT results came back. But if the last thing I see before I die is your face, well… There are worse ways to go.”

Jordynne grabbed onto the patient’s arm again, “You’re strong, Kyra. I _know_ you can survive this.” 

She smiled at her, “I guess it’ll be harder to die knowing I have a friend cheering me on.” 

Bryce intervened, “Kyra, what did we say about all the death talk?” 

She grimaced, “Sorry, boss. I’ll start planning for retirement.” She gave him a mock salute. 

A chuckle escaped his lips, “Good. Sorry Dr. Holland, but I have to get Ms. Santana here to the OR.” 

He went to start to wheel her away, but Jordynne stopped him by grabbing onto his wrist “Bryce, just one more thing…” She pulled him over to the corner with her — out of the patient’s earshot. “Take care of her for me.” 

He smirked at her, “She couldn’t be in better hands.” He grabbed onto Jordynne’s fingers, “Seriously, my hands are incredible.” 

But Jordynne didn’t let his usually contagious smile take on her face, she looked up at him — her eyes serious. “I mean it, Bryce.” 

He dropped his megawatt smile, moving his hand up to her shoulder. “I’m only assisting, but Dr. Zimmerman is an amazing surgeon. Kyra will be golden. We’ll bring her back safe.” He massaged his fingers into her neck slyly, causing her to relax a bit.

She let a small smile form on her lips,” Thanks, Bryce. Really.” 

Returning the smile, he turned on his heel and heads back to Kyra. She waves goodbye to Jordynne as they enter the elevator. 

An angry voice caused Jordynne to whip around. “Holland! What are you standing around for? Get down to the ER and see if they need any patients admitted!” 

“Yes, Dr. Mirani!” She gulped, running towards the ER doors. 

* * *

Closing his office door shut, Ethan pulled out his keys to lock it just as he heard the familiar shuffle of slippers. “Hello, Mrs. Martinez.”

She wheeled her IV stand over to him, “Oh, Dr. Ramsey. Where has my handsome doctor been?! I’ve haven’t seen you in a couple of days darling.” He didn’t mind her pet names — she had one for everyone. 

“I’ve just been busy. But I’m never too busy for you.” Holding out his arm for her, she grabbed on and they continued on with her laps. 

She beamed up at the man before she continued speaking. “So you’ve been busy. Busy getting into trouble I assume?” 

He smiled at her, “Me? Never, Mrs. Martinez.”

She barked out a laugh. “Oh, you can’t look at me with that handsome devil face of yours and tell me you never got into trouble.” 

“Okay, there was _one_ time. I was nine years old and I decided to make my parents pancakes in bed like they would do for me on my birthdays. Of course, it was a complete disaster — I split an entire bag of flour all over myself, tracked it all through the house in a panic trying to clean it up… “ Ethan’s voice trailed off as he noticed Dr. Holland get off the elevator, stopping at the nurses' station. He shook his head, continuing to speak, “Finally, my parents come downstairs, I am covered in flour, there are little white footprints all over the floor, and there isn’t a single pancake made.” 

“So, what did you do?” 

Ethan smiled down at the old woman, revealing his row of white teeth. “I blamed it on our dog, of course! Little tiny human footprints around the whole house and I blamed poor Buddy.” 

Another wheezy laughed escaped her, “You wicked thing!” She swatted at his arm playfully, “Oh, but I’m sure you were a lovely boy.” 

“More like a loveable scoundrel. I got away with _everything_.” He said with a laugh. 

“Even that one?!” She said in disbelief. 

“Ha, even that one. I guess they saw the good intentions of it.”Noticing Dr. Holland still lingering at the nurses' station her eyes on them, he stopped in his tracks. “Sorry Mrs. Martinez, I’ve got to get going.” He made sure she was sturdy with her IV stand and started heading towards Jordynne.

“Why are you gawping like a fish that’s jumped out of its bowl?” 

Her blonde ponytail whipped around as she turned to face him, her eyes going wide. “Nothing! It just looked like you were having fun.” She shrugged, looking back at her clipboard. 

He set his mouth into a hard line, “I care for the wellbeing of the people who’ve entrusted their care to me, Rookie. That’s all.”

She licked her pink lips, “Righhhhhht. Okay, I gotta go. Dolores Hudson isn’t going to examine herself…” 

Ethan blinked at her, “Did you just say, _Dolores Hudson?_” 

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, “Yes?” 

_What was she doing here? What had happened now? _Ethan felt his mind starting to race, “I’m coming with you.” 

Following Holland into the room, Ethan saw his old friend laying in the bed, a nose tube fed up through her nostril. A blue blanket was wrapped around her swollen stomach — _God, how long had it been? She was so far along now. _

“Hi Dolores, I’m…” But Dr. Holland was cut off by the patient.

“Ethan!” A bright smile spread across the woman’s face, tubes tugged on her arms as she propped herself up at the sight of him. 

He returned her smile, shaking his head slightly, “Dolores! What have you gotten yourself into this time?” 

Her shoulders shrugged, “There was a fire at my office. I was upstairs filing away some papers. The elevator shut down, and I couldn’t get down the stairs.” She grabbed onto her stomach, twisting her mouth. 

Reaching over to grab her shoulder, he reassured her, “I’ll call your sisters so they can fly in from Minneapolis in the morning. I’m so glad you’re safe.” 

Dolores patted his hand, “_I’m _glad you have a Superman on payroll. The EMT who carried me out was a total hunk.” She winked at Jordynne, who’s face went a little flush at the mention of the EMT. 

Holland cleared her throat a little, trying to resume the conversation. “I don’t mean to interrupt, but I’d like to listen to Dolores’ chest.” She unwrapped the stethoscope from around her neck. 

Ethan stepped up, introducing the two. “Dolores, this is Dr. Holland. Dolores was my very first patient when I was an intern.” 

Jordynne looked taken aback, “Really? Wow!” She wrapped her hands around the railing of the bed, joining the conversation, “Dolores, was he always so handsome?” 

Ramsey shook his head, unsure of what he just heard, “Excuse me?” 

Dolores giggled, “He was cute, but to be honest, I think he’s aged like a fine wine.” 

Ethan’s face went beat red, “Dr. Holland, the examination if you don’t mind?” 

He watched as Jordynne bit her pink lip, trying to suppress a laugh. She warmed up her stethoscope with her palm, before placing it on Dolores's chest. He studied her, watching as she listened. 

“Okay, a deep breath for me, Dolores.” She listened, staring up into Dr. Ramsey’s eyes as she waited. She gave him a quick shake of her head. “And if you don’t mind me asking, what brought you in back then?” 

Dolores smiled, recalling the memory, “Burst appendix. I was _totally_ freaked out, but Ethan calmed me down. Even kept in touch a bit over the years.” 

Ramsey flashed a sheepish smile — he felt like his face was going to overheat from embarrassment. 

“That’s really sweet. I got my first patient’s contact info, too! You’re making me want to email her and check-in!” Jordynne exclaimed

Looking over to Ramsey, Dolores gave him a smile. “You should! It meant a lot to me.” 

Jordynne put her stethoscope back around her neck, putting her hands on her hips. “I’m surprised. It doesn’t seem like you to care about a patient once they’ve walked out the door.”

He rolled his blue eyes, “I was young. On hard days, knowing they were out there living life to the fullest… it kept me going.” 

Jordynne stared at him curiously, before turning serious again. “Her breathing is short, as you’d expect. I think we should get her a chest X-ray.”

Grabbing onto her chart at the end of the bed, Ethan read it carefully. _That’s not right. _He thought to himself, a frown spreading across his face. 

Holland moved to his side, noticing his expression. She spoke to him in a low voice, moving her head near his so she could read the chart, “What’s wrong?” 

“Her elevated BP. Should be low after smoke inhalation. Let’s take a urine sample too.” He licked his lips, trying to not get worried. 

Dolores speaking again, caused them both to snap back to reality — pulling their heads away from each quickly. “Excuse me, Dr. Holland? I remember having my purse on me when the hunk carried me out. Did they bring it in?” 

Holland quickly finds the purse and gives it to Dolores. But a furrow line develops between her eyebrows as she searches through it. “It’s not here! I must have dropped it outside the office…” Her voice turned sad, her eyes welling up with tears, “It sounds stupid, but I saw this adorable stuffed frog on my lunch break and had to buy it for my little tadpole.” She wraps her hands around her pregnant belly, “Both of my parents are gone, and Ethan you know, the father’s not in the picture. I just want everything to be perfect for him.

Ethan gulped guiltily. He _did_ know all those things — he hadn’t spoken to her in so long. She was going through all of this alone. “_God, I’m a terrible friend”. _He thought. 

Jordynne spoke up before he could, “It doesn’t sound stupid, Dolores. In fact, it sounds like you’re going to be a great mom.” 

A small smile spread across her face, as she remained stroking her belly. “Thank you. I just… I really wish I hadn’t lost that little frog.” 

Holland’s green eyes met Ethan’s blue ones — twinkling at him. A flash of confusion went over his face as he stared at her. _What was she plotting?_

“I have an idea! Ethan and I will go find it!” Holland blurted excitedly.

Ethan’s eyebrows raised up in surprise at Jordynne’s suggestion. Dolores sat up straighter in the bed, “Really, Ethan? You’d do that for me?”

“Er,” Ethan hesitated unsure. _Was wandering around with Jordynne alone, in the middle of the night with rooms full of patients really the best idea?_ “Well,” He looked between the two women — both of their eyes pleading with him. “Of course, but Dr. Holland, let’s get that urine sample off to the lab first. I’ll give you ten minutes, then I’ll meet you in the lot.” 

Dolores burst out laughing, “I’m twenty-six weeks pregnant. Not gonna take ten minutes to get _me _to pee!” Dr. Holland strode over to Dolores, helping her sit up. 

“I’ll meet you down there, Rookie.” Ethan gave Holland a curt nod, before turning on his heel — headed towards his office. 

Unlocking the door, he found his car keys sitting on top of his wooden desk. He jingled them nervously, before putting them in his pants’ pocket. He hung up his white coat, exchanging it for his black rain jacket instead. _So, first they share a couple of drinks at Donahue’s and now they were driving around at night together for a patient? _Ethan shook his head at himself as he walked down the hallway, headed to the elevator. “_Whatever happened to work/life balance,_” He thought to himself.

Heading outside into the staff parking lot, he clicked his key fob to unlock the door to his sleek, black Mercedes-Benz. Sliding into the leather seat, he drummed on the steering wheel nervously — keeping his eye out for Dr. Holland. When he saw her exit through the door, he made the engine hum to life and pulled the car in front of the sidewalk for her to get in. 

“Thanks,” She says, breathless as she gets into the car. She had changed out of her lab coat as well, putting on a thick, grey cardigan with a hood. “Whoa. Great car.” She said as she looked around, pulling her seatbelt over her chest. 

Ethan scoffed, “What did you expect, a rusted-out jalopy?” 

She rolled her green eyes at him, settling into the leather seat. She played around with her hair, taking pieces of it that had been tucked into her cardigan and flicking it out. Again, her scent wafted over Ethan — jasmine, vanilla, orange blossoms. _Why does she keep having to do that?_ Ethan thought, internalizing the pleasant sound that almost escaped his mouth. 

Trying to distract himself, Ethan turned on the radio — a concerto coming on through the speakers. _God, of course, this plays first. She’s going to think I’m some pompous asshole who only drinks scotch, drives a Mercedes... _

But before he could finish his thought, Jordynne started humming along to it absent-mindedly — staring out a the passing buildings and lights in downtown Boston. _Who is this woman?!_ He thought to himself, swallowing hard. _If she just doesn’t speak, and just keeps staring out the window this will be fine._

Dread filled him as he heard her speak up, “So, what’s up with you and Dr. Emery?” His knuckles turned white on the steering wheel, his teeth grinding together. 

_That was the last thing he had expected her to bring up. _


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Rating: T (Swearing)
> 
> Word Count: 5600+
> 
> Description: Dr. Holland loses her first patient, and Ethan loses a friend. Dolores’ Chapter in mostly Ethan’s point of view. 
> 
> Disclaimer: Characters, storyline, and parts of the dialogue are taken from Pixelberry’s Choices. They fully own the characters, dialogue, backgrounds, etc. MC Jordynne’s background is my own creation, based loosely off of MC in-game’s personality and provided with more details.
> 
> Author’s Note: This part is about the devastating chapter on Dolores. I actually cried when first reading it, but I wanted to think about it in Ethan’s point of view. It is a long one, but I didn’t really want to break it up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters, storyline, and parts of the dialogue are taken from Pixelberry’s Choices. They fully own the characters, dialogue, backgrounds, etc. MC Jordynne’s background is my own creation, based loosely off of MC in-game’s personality and provided with more details.

“So, what’s up with you and Dr. Emery?”

Ethan’s blue eyes darted to hers —a sharp look on his face. He didn’t answer her, looking back to the road in front of him. 

Jordynne chewed her lip, “I saw you together earlier. It looked… intimate.” 

Ethan let out a loud sigh. _Of course, someone saw him and Harper when she had pulled him into room 515. _He cut off his thought process, realizing he still hadn’t spoken. “I don’t like advertising my private life at work.” 

She shrugged, glancing over at him, “I’m just trying to figure out the politics of this place if I’m gonna survive here.” 

He stared at her out of the corner of his eye, he believed her. “In that case… we _were_ an item. And then only on again, off again.” 

“Oh,” Jordynne said, tugging her cardigan sleeves over her wrists. “And now?”

“Off.” He blurted out, a bit more aggressively than he wanted. Her eyes widened at his tone. He spoke more gently this time, “As of last year, she’s my boss. _Not_ that my personal life is any of your business.” 

She gave him a sheepish smile. “My lips are sealed.”

He looked at her, their eyes meeting. He really believed her — _Why_? He had no idea. “Good.”

“ So you broke up because she became your boss? That’s it?” 

Ethan licked his lips, thinking. “Yes. And no. It was complicated.” 

A laugh escaped her lips, “I think most break-ups are complicated. At least mine was.” She knitted her fingers together. She seemed a little nervous all the sudden. 

Curiosity took Ramsey over, “Recent?” 

“Yeah,” She nodded, “Right before a moved here.” Her eyebrows furrowed. 

He jumped to the conclusion, “Didn’t want to do the distance?”

She bit her lip, “More like didn’t want to be the boyfriend of the busy, ambitious doctor.” 

_Know you’re better than that idiot, Jordynne. _He thought. 

She readjusted in her seat, “Not that my personal life is any of your business.” She repeated him from earlier, causing Ramsey to flash a smile. 

“My lips are sealed.” He winked, before looking back to the road. 

She started playing with her fingers again, “So, did Dr. Banerji really quit?” 

Ethan’s lids lowered a bit, his heart sinking. _This is what he hadn’t wanted to talk about_. “I was wondering when you’d get around to asking that.” 

Her green eyes were big as she stared at him, “And? Did he?” 

Ethan felt his heart go up into his throat about, as he thought about Naveen. “Yes,” was all he could muster. 

Jordynne twisted in her seat, holding onto her seat belt so she could look at him better, “But that’s huge! Did he say why he was leaving?” 

_To go die on some damn island. _He thought. But he swallowed, “That’s between him and the chief.” 

“So you’re in charge of the diagnostics team now. That’s gotta be a lot of pressure.” 

_Could she read his mind? Did she know every single topic that would cause his mind to go berserk? _

Licking his lips, he decided to be honest with her. “More than you can imagine. Naveen built that team from his own blood, sweat and tears. I can’t let him down now that he’s moved on.” 

“Is that what you want?” 

It was such a simple question — but wasn’t one he had been asked in years. Nothing that was happening was what he _wanted_. Just what he had to do. 

He licked his lips again, “What I _want_ is to confront the impossible mysteries of the human body and understand them.” 

She stared at him with bewildered eyes, “Okay, but back here on Earth… Did you always want to lead a diagnostician team?” 

He let out a breath, “The team gives me the opportunity to face the questions no one has answered, so in that respect, I suppose the answer is yes.” 

Her green eyes studied him, analyzing him like a patient. “You know I’m actually surprised you were up for this rescue mission.”

A smile spread across his face, relieved at the change of topic away from Naveen. “You don’t think I want to spend my time searching for stuffed animals?” 

She twisted her mouth, looking guilty, “I thought you’d think it was pointless. I mean it’s just a stuffed frog right?” 

His eyebrows furrowed and lips turned into a frown,“You think I’m just some emotionless machine, don’t you?”

  
She bit her lip, “ Not entirely machine. Cyborg maybe? Dr. Terminator?”

Ethan barked out a laugh, “In that case, even a cyborg would cite the studies show how emotional attachment can play statistically significant roles in patient recovery.” He glanced over her, a smirk on his face, “So not even I, ‘Dr. Terminator’ think it’s just a _toy_.”

  
“ And Dolores is a friend.” She smiled knowingly. 

  
“ She’s a patient first, while in our care. But yes,” He nodded, “She’s also a friend. If a stuffed animal will help her get through this, I’ll find her that damn frog.” 

  
“ I think you may be a softie at heart, Dr. Ramsey.” 

  
Ethan scoffed, “ Far from it. I’m practical.” Pulling over onto the side of the road, he turned off the engine. “And that’s enough prying for now. We’re here.” 

Opening up the car door, Ethan stepped around the front of his Mercedes and grabbed the passenger door. 

“Oh,” Jordynne said in surprise, ducking out from inside the car, “Thanks.” 

The pair turned around together — taking in the orange flames burning the office complex. The rancid smell of burning plastic and plaster filled the air. Fire engines were parked in front, hoses spun out and water rushing out of them — trying to beat back the flames. 

Ethan’s eyes widened as the sight — the flames reflecting back in his pupils, “We can search the perimeter, but if it fell from her purse in there…” 

She grabbed onto his elbow, “Let’s hope it didn’t.” 

  
The pair started searching side by side, looking around on the street — imagining where Rafael would have pulled up with the ambulance. Jordynne pulled out her iPhone, turning on the flashlight and scanning the dark road. 

“Look, there in the storm drain.” Ethan pointed to it, bending over to get a better look. 

  
Jordynne’s pink mouth opened in fear, “ Oh, hell no! I am _not _going down there! Haven’t you seen ‘_It_’? 

Ethan’s dark brows furrowed in confusion, “Seen what?”

“Never mind...,” She shook her head, her voice exasperated. “Well, you better lower me in. I’ll fall in headfirst if I try to reach it on my own, but not if you hang onto my hand.” 

Ethan shrugged, “Sounds like it’s worth a shot.”

  
Handing her phone over to him, she knelt down onto the cold pavement. She started wriggling her top half into the storm drain, holding her hand out in the air for him. Standing over her, Ethan grabbed onto her fingers — they were warm and soft. She started rolling further into the dark storm gate, he bent down closer to her so she could see better. 

Glancing down, he noticed her tan, bare legs peeking out from underneath her skirt and long cardigan — pressing down against the pavement. Gulping, he averted his gaze and tightened his hold on her hand, “Can you reach?” 

“Al…most…,” He heard her voice strain, as she stretched a bit further. “Got it!”

At her words,  Ethan used his strength to pull her back out effortlessly. She kneeled on the ground, pulling her skirt down before grabbing his outstretched hand again. He lifted her up back, brushing off her grey cardigan. She glanced down at his fingers wiping off the dirt on his shoulders, and he coughed awkwardly as he stopped. 

“Well,” She showed him the wet stuffed frog, waving it in front of him. “Mission accomplished.” 

Ramsey nodded sternly, “Excellent work. You can give Dolores the good news when we get back.” 

The pair started heading back to his car, and Jordynne crinkled her nose at the stuffed animal. “After we sterilize this, of course. We wouldn’t want it anywhere near a pregnant woman, otherwise.” 

He grimaced as the dirty stuffed animal made its way into his Mercedes. “My thoughts precisely. Come on, we still have some work to do.” 

* * *

The flashing lights on the television screen were making Ethan’s eyes tired. He wasn’t really watching, but the show was making Dolores laugh. He was sitting on a chair he had dragged in from the hall, his elbows resting on his knees.

Dolores’ head was resting on her pillow, laying on her side as she stroked her belly. 

“Why do you like this garbage?” Ethan asked, taking another sip of his coffee. 

“It makes me laugh. It’s a feel-good show, Ethan.” She said, turning down the volume a bit, glancing over to him. “She’s good.” 

_The Rookie. _Fiddling with his leather watch strap, he didn’t move his eyes away from it, “Who?”

She gave him a knowing look, “Doctor Holland. She’s pretty too.” 

His blue eyes flashed to her, “Dolores.” 

“What? She is.” A cheeky grin spread across her face, before turning into a line. “Besides, it’s been a year since Harper.” 

He let out a breath, “I like being alone.” 

“No, you don’t Ethan. I know I’m your patient, but you’re also my friend.” She met his eyes, her stare unwavering. “You wouldn’t be in here with me if you liked being alone.” 

He gulped, “I—,” 

A light knock on the window interrupted him. Jordynne had moved up some of the blinds, peaking through to get his attention. Ethan excused himself, going out into the hallway to meet her. 

“Jordynne,” He greeted her, noticing the folder in her hands. “You get the labs?” 

She doesn’t say anything to him, her mouth in a hard line — she held the labs out for him.

Ethan’s eyebrows furrowed at her silence, and he grabbed the file from her. His blue eyes dashed over the results, and his felt his face fall. _No, no, no… _

Jordynne finally speaks, “She has serious preeclampsia.” Her eyes moved to his, filled with worry. "Her baby’s in trouble, isn’t it?”

Ethan rubbed the lines in his forehead, “Yes. Let’s go tell her.”

Turning on his heel, he headed back towards the door. When he didn’t hear footsteps following him, he turned back around to Holland. She was hesitated, biting her pink lip. “This is the job, Rookie. Come on.” 

He held the door open for her before they shuffled in together. Dolores smiled at the pair, but it faded as she noticed how serious they both looked. “What is it? Ethan?” 

Ethan didn’t look at her, instead turning to Jordynne. He nodded at her, trying to be encouraging. 

He watched as she took a deep breath through her nose, before speaking, “Dolores, I don’t want you to worry —”

Her eyes flashed to Ethan, “That’s what people say when you should be worried.” 

“Have you ever heard of preeclampsia?” She asked, but Dolores shook her head. “It’s a serious condition that affects up to one in ten pregnant women. In many cases, it’s manageable if monitored, _but_ I’m afraid yours is quite serious.” 

Dolores’ hands wrapped around her swollen belly protectively, “How serious?” 

“The blood flow to the placenta is slowing. It could soon deprive your baby of vital nutrients and oxygen. “ Jordynne’s voice remained professional, unwavering. But Ethan could see her fingers trembling at her side. 

Ethan stepped forward, grabbing onto the railings of the bed, “Your baby is at risk.” 

Her eyes filled with panic, “But… everything feels fine! I can still feel the baby kicking!” 

“Dolores,” He kept his voice soft, "This just means we’re going to have to deliver the baby early.” 

Anger flared on her face, “No! It’s too soon!”

Jordynne stepped up next to Ethan, their shoulders almost touching, “Babies delivered at twenty-six weeks have a good chance of survival.” 

The pregnant woman’s mouth opened in horror, “A… a _chance_?!” 

Jordynne found her voice again, speaking up, “He’ll have to spend some time in the NICU, and yes, there’s risks of post-birth complications—“ 

“And some don’t make it at all!” She moved her legs up, pulling herself into her swollen stomach — trying to protect her belly more. “Is my baby in danger now?” 

“Not immediately, no. But —“ She cut Ethan off. 

Her mouth set in a hard line, “Then my little tadpole is staying put.” 

His blue eyes went big, he was pleading with her, “Dolores —“ 

“No, Ethan!” She shouted, tears welling in her eyes, “Just… give me a week. Give me as long as you can. Please.” 

All emotion wiped from Ethan’s face, he crossed his arms over his chest, “I’ll give you tonight. To come to your senses.” He shook his head, disappointed. Stalking out of the room, he waited in the hallway for Jordynne to join him. 

She closed the door softly behind them, before she started playing with her blonde ponytail nervously — tightening and swirling it through her fingers. Finally, she let her green eyes meet Ramsey’s blue ones — both of their faces were filled with worry. 

Jordynne broke the silence first, “I’ll keep checking on her. Maybe we can talk her around.” 

Ethan croaked out, his voice low, “No. Just go home. Your shift’s been over for hours already.” 

He knew she was studying the worry lines on his face, the dark circles that were starting to form under his eyes, “But…” 

Shaking his head, he cut her off, “I’m taking over this case. You’re… not ready for it.” 

The hurt that flashed across her face made his stomach twist. But Ethan needed to do this — this was _his_ friend, this was _his_ responsibility now. He wasn’t going to let it fall to her. Before she had time to talk back, he stalked away — his dress shoes sending echoing clicks down the silent hallway.

* * *

The sky had long gone dark outside, the city lights ablaze in downtown Boston. Ethan stood in front of the large window on the fifth floor, chewing absent-mindedly on a dry, leftover sandwich from the cafeteria. A typical dinner for him once he realized he would be at the hospital all night. His leather couch in his office called for him, but he wanted to be available if Dolores’ changed her mind and she wanted to see him.

He had tried a couple hours after the Rookie and him had given her the diagnosis. But she had laid on her side — ignoring him completely. A nurse was giving him updates — she had started complaining about a headache and some nausea — but it could just be from the stress of her diagnosis. Or, even worse, her preeclampsia was already getting worse. 

Rubbing his forward again, Ethan tried to massage the tension out of his forehead when he heard yelling from the down the hall. Without even thinking, his dinner dropped out of his hands and he began sprinting down the hallway. He watched as a nurse and Doctor Neilson ran into Dolores’ room — shouts echoing down the hall. 

Ethan’s dress shoes slide on the white tiled floor as he turned into the room. The doctor and nurses were turning Dolores onto her side gently — speaking to her in low, calm voices. He didn’t say anything — his breathing hard as they watched them. 

The attending finally spoke up, noticing Ethan. Her voice was fast but coherent. “Patient had a seizure… She started convulsing — I think she was trying to hide that her symptoms were getting worse — to put off delivery.” 

Ethan’s heart started pounding in his ears, “We need to get her into the OR, right now for cesarean delivery.” 

“Already on the way,” The attending placed her hand on his shoulder, backing him out of the room. “Dr. Ramsey, I know you know the patient, but you need to let us to do this.” 

Anger flared in him, “This is _mine _and Dr. Holland’s patient,” But he found himself pushed out of the room, making way for Dolores’ bed to be wheeled out into the hallway. 

“I am _not_ doing this with you. We are running out of time, Ramsey!” The attending mirrored his anger, grabbing onto the side of bed — rushing her down the hall. 

Rushing down the hall with him, his blue eyes were trained on Dolores. She was blinking lazily, obviously confused as she was hurled down the bright hallway. “Dolores.” Ethan spoke to her, trying to get her focus.

“Ethan…”, Her voice was a murmur in the hustle in the hallway — but he heard it. 

“It’s going to be okay, Dolores.”

Dr. Neilson moved down to talk to her — speaking to low for Ethan to hear. They neared the swinging OR doors.

The on-call surgical team appeared through the doors, grabbing onto Dolores’ and ushering her inside. As he went to follow them through the doors, Doctor Neilson moved her hands up to block him. “No, you are not going anywhere near that OR.” 

“Like hell I’m not,” He snarled, going to move past her. 

“Dr. Ramsey! We have done what we can.” Her eyes softened at his, understanding his frustration. “Let the surgeons do their job now.” 

Tightening his hands into a fist, Ethan’s knuckles turned white as he stalked away from her. He could feel his heart hammering through his chest now, his jaw clenched into a hard line. He stood for a moment, his eyes closed. _Let her be okay. Not her too. Please._

“You’ve been here all day, Dr. Ramsey. If you’re going to wait, go find a seat. I’ll update your intern.” 

_My intern? My intern. Rookie. _Ethan gulped — he didn’t think he could face her. 

He wasn’t sure how long he sat in that waiting room for. It wasn’t very often he was sitting on the opposite side of the doors — waiting for someone to walk out of the room. If he had been a better friend, called her more, seen her more often — he could have diagnosed her earlier, noticed the symptoms. It shouldn’t have come to this. 

The sound of a door swinging open caused Ethan to flick his eye up from the white tiles to Dr. Neilson. He knew — from the moment he saw her face, he knew. His stomach dropped, his face immediately turning hot. 

She gave him a sad look, standing over him with her arms at her sides. “Placental abruption,” She spoke to him scientifically — distancing herself from him. “There was too much bleeding to save the mother. The baby survived for now, he’s in the NICU. Fifty percent chance he will make it through the night.” 

“I know the odds.” He said coldly, not looking up to the attending. 

She chewed her lip, “I’m sorry Dr. Ramsey.” Turning on her heel, she stopped for a moment, “Go home. Sleep.” He heard the sound of her footsteps as she walked away from him — leaving him alone in the waiting room. 

Putting his head in his hands, Ethan closed his eyes as he felt water starting to fill them. _World-class diagnostician but can’t save your own friend. _He ground his teeth together, angry at himself. _First, Dolores. Next will be Naveen. _

The clicking of high heels echoed throughout the empty room, but Ethan did not look up at the sound. 

“Doctor Ramsey?” Jordynne’s voice was soft as she walked towards him. He didn’t look up. _Why? Why did she have to come? _She would make it so much harder. 

“What happened? Where’s Dolores?” Her voice started wavering at his silence. 

He didn’t answer for so long, that by the time he finally looked up at her, she had opened her pink mouth to speak again. But when they locked eyes, she closed her mouth — she knew. He didn’t have to really say. 

Furrowing his brows, he finally spoke, “Dolores had a seizure. Full eclampsia.” Wringing his hands together, he swallowed hard, “We had no choice but to deliver the baby. It’s fifty-fifty he’ll survive the night."

Her green eyes were wide — her long lashes blinking fast. “And Dolores?” 

“She died.” He croaked. 

Jordynne’s eyes filled with tears. She seemed to loose her balance in her high-heeled boots as she stumbled back. Grabbing onto a chair, she steadied herself, “Dr. Ramsey, I’m so…” 

Shaking his head, he cut her off, “I’m fine.” Standing up, he brushed the wrinkles out of his trousers before rolling his shoulders back — standing up straighter. He dropped the emotion from his face, before striding away — leaving Jordynne standing alone in the middle of the empty waiting room. 

* * *

Closing her locker, Jordynne placed her head on the cool metal and let out a sigh.

It felt better being in her scrubs. She had raced to change out of the ridiculous mini dress and boots the second Doctor Ramsey had raced away from her. Heading to the mirror, she scrubbed off the makeup she had put on just a few hours before — her mascara running under her eyes with the tears she had been shedding. Her face was red from crying, and she had thrown her hair into a fast ponytail — she didn’t look like the professional doctor she was trying to become, but tonight she didn’t really care. 

She checked her phone, realizing how many missed texts she had from her roommates and Bryce. She had left Bryce high and dry — running in her heels to the nearest subway to get to the hospital as fast as possible. Her thumbs quickly typed up a text, before she slipped it in her pocket and headed towards the NICU. 

Jordynne carried the stuffed green frog in her hands as she walked, swinging it lightly. She had stopped in Dolores’ room on her way to the locker room — still empty of her bed. It sat on the side table, discarded in the chaos. 

Entering the NICU, she weaved through a couple incubators until she same the familiar surname. New tears welled in her eyes and her chest tightened as she looked at the name tag — _Ethan Hudson. _A sob escaped Jordynne’s mouth, which she quickly covered. 

“Can I help you?” An attending approached her, looking Jordynne up and down. 

“This baby’s mother is my patient.” She grimaced — _Was her patient. Past tense. _

The attending nodded at her, realizing who she was. 

Jordynne pointed at the name tag, a small smile forming on her face, “She got to name him?” 

She pursed her lips, “She told me just as she was rushed to the OR.” The pair stared at the infant in silence for a moment, “The poor thing. We’ll know more in the morning.” 

Eyeing the couch nearby, Jordynne asked, “Do you mind if I sit with him tonight?”

The attending eye’s filled with understanding, “Feel free.”

Holding up the stuffed frog, she chewed her lip,“Can I give him this? His mother wanted him to have it. It’s been sterilized.” 

“Go ahead.” The attending gave her a sad smile, before turning on her heel and leaving the room. 

Finding a box of gloves, Jordynne pulled them on quickly before placing the frog softly next to the baby, “Here you are, tadpole. Mommy’s still with you.” She smiled as he snuggled weakly next to it. Softly, she ran a finger over the baby’s tiny fist. 

“What are you still doing here?” 

Ethan’s voice was softer than usual — he sound exhausted.Jordynne looked up, her eyes meeting his blue ones. They were red and blurry, his coat and collar askew, arms hanging at his sides. 

She swallowed, returning to stroking the tiny baby’s hand. "I’m going to stay with him tonight. I hate the idea of him having to fight for his life alone.” 

Putting his hands in his pockets, he stepped forward — his eyes still locked on her, not looking at the baby. “There are plenty of doctors working overnight. If something happens, they’ll be here.” 

She bit her pink lip, forcing back more tears, “I know.” 

He nodded at her, understanding. Finally he looked down at the baby, his expression gentler then Jordynne had ever seen it. 

“Would you mind if I joined you?” He asked sheepishly, his eyes big. 

She stepped away from the incubator, pulling the gloves off. “Not at all.” She moved over to the love seat nearby, patting the spot next to her. “Plenty of room here.” 

Ethan sat beside her on the couch, their knees almost touching in the close space. Jordynne breathed in at their touch — smelling his cologne, sandalwood and leather. Together, they sat in silence for a moment, listening to the gentle _whoosh_ of the ventilator. 

He broke the silence first, shifting his focus from the incubator to her. “You gave him the frog. Dolores would have been…,” His voice broke. “She would have been pleased.” 

Jordynne blinked away tears, but a few slipped passed running down her tan cheek. She turned her face away from Ethan, trying to wipe them away quickly so he wouldn’t see. 

But he still noticed. “Don’t Jordynne. I think we’re past hiding our tears from each other.” He croaked, tear stains visible on his cheeks in the bright light.

Her lip quivered, and she closed her eyes — relieved he hadn’t called her Rookie. 

He knitted his fingers together on his lap, leaning back into the couch before speaking, “My first patient I lost… was in my fourth week. I didn’t make any mistakes. He had stage four metazoicmelanoma. He just… fought like hell and lost. I liked him. He wasn’t much older than I am now. I knew he didn’t have long to live, but it still hit me hard.”He glanced over at her, swallowing. 

Her blurry green eyes stared at him, “Does it ever get easier?”

“Grieving a lost patient isn’t a weakness. Good doctors _should _value life. For itself.” His pupils shifted as he studied her face, “I’d be more concerned if you _weren’t_ upset.” 

She let out a breath, nodding at him. “You didn’t answer my question though.” 

His eyes betrayed him, looking down for a moment. “No, I didn’t.” He took a deep breath before speaking again, “Just know… this wasn’t your fault. Or mine. Or Dolores’. We all made the best decisions we could with the information we had.” 

Jordynne’s eyebrows furrowed, her voice wavering again. “But she trusted us. She was my patient. She put her life in my hands.” Water formed in her eyes, and she didn’t wipe them away this time. She felt the hot tears roll down her cheek. 

“You’re right. Remember this, even when the patient is mean or stubborn. Their _life_ is in your hands. That responsibility has to come first. Always.” His voice was serious, but gentle. 

Pulling at the seam in her scrubs nervously, Jordynne asked, “Why are you being so nice to me? You’re usually so…” 

“Demanding?” Ethan finished for her, before starring into space. He couldn’t give her a straight answer to why. _They had been through the whole day with Dolores together maybe. But it could be something more than that_. “There are doctors with unlimited patience. I’m not one of them. Energy I could use socializing or making someone’s day better, I put towards my patients. They’re who I’m here for.” 

“But you’re a teacher too.” She said honestly. 

He raised his eyebrows in agreement, “One of many, and you shouldn’t model yourself after any of us.” Pinching the bridge of his nose he continued, “Idolatry among physicians is absurd. We’re here to teach you practical medicine. You need to find your own way of being a doctor.”

“But…,” She hesitated, swallowing hard, “How do I do that?” 

A small, but genuine smile spread across Ethan’s face, “You already are.” 

Suddenly, the baby made a small sound — stretching his tiny hands open and close. Standing up, Ethan grabbed some gloves, before offering his finger to the infant. As he grabbed onto his finger, a smile spread across Ethan’s face — his eyes shining with water again. 

“She named him after you.” Jordynne said softly, gesturing to the name on the incubator. 

His eyes flashed with surprise as he looked below him, to the name tag. She watched as he swallowed hard, chewing on his lip. “I… see she did.” 

The stood together, hovering over the incubator — standing shoulder to shoulder. “You must have known Dolores a long time.” 

“Over ten years. When I first emailed her I only meant to check in. But she was recently divorced, feeling alone, so she insisted on coffee. And then it turned into more emails and meeting once every couple months for Sunday roast.” He smiled, thinking about past dinners. 

“She sounds like a good friend.” 

He nodded in agreement, “I didn’t make friends easily when I started here, so I was always grateful to her for that.” He swallowed again, falling silent as he stared at Dolores’ baby. 

Instinctually Jordynne reached over the incubator, putting her hand over his — still holding onto the baby’s. “I’m sorry this happened.” 

Ethan looked up at her, his blue eyes shining. He held her gaze for a long moment, searching her green eyes. Their hands turning warm as they touched. “Me too.” He said, his voice earnest. 

Jordynne felt her chest tighten for a moment, and she gulped. 

Suddenly he cleared his throat, moving his hand out from underneath hers. “I think we need coffee.” 

She shoved her hands into her scrubs pockets, “I can get some.” 

He shook his head, putting out his hands, “No, I’ll go.” He gave her a half-smile, before leaving the NICU. 

Returning to the leather love seat, Jordynne curled up into the corner of it — angling herself so she could watch the baby’s little chest. “That’s it, little tadpole. In and out.” She whispered to herself. 

Ethan returned with two mugs of steaming coffee, handing one to Jordynne before sitting next to her. Her knee resting against his thigh, but he didn’t seem to mind. She took a careful sip, before grinning, “This doesn’t taste like cafeteria coffee!” She whispered excitedly. 

He grinned at her reaction, showing his perfect white teeth. “This is from my private coffee machine. As soon as I got an office, I vowed never to drink that caffeinated dishwater again. Nobody knows I have it, so…” 

Smiling, she took another sip from the coffee, “I won’t tell a soul.” 

His eyes crinkled, “I know.” He took another sig, before speaking again, “What was with your get up earlier?” 

Jordynne flushed with embarrassment, “I went to a concert after my shift. To try and keep my mind off of here. I guess it was pretty different from my scrubs.” 

Ethan licked his lips, eyeing her, “A little. Not that you don’t look good now.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. 

“I just meant,” He waved at himself — his coat and trouser long disheveled, his hair tousled from running his fingers throughout it nervously all night. “All things considered.” 

She chuckled, self-consciously rubbing her tired skin and trying to flatten her ponytail. “You really need to work on your compliments there, Ramsey.”

A snicker escaped him, “I gotta work on a lot of things Jordynne.” 

* * *

Ethan woke with a stir, his eyes flashing open in confusion at his surroundings. He was still in the NICU, the bright fluorescent lights causing him to blink. He went to move his right arm but he felt resistance. Glancing over, he saw Jordynne’s blonde head leaning against it — her eyes closed as she slept.

Darting his eyes around, he realized they were alone. He looked at the incubator, noticing the rise and fall of the infant’s chest. His heart swelled — _he made it._ Risking another glance, Ethan gulped as he studied her face. She looked so peaceful — her full lips pursed together, long lashes casting a shadow on her cheeks, her ponytail coming undone sending pieces falling wildly around her face. 

A big part of him wanted to stay like this — let her use him as a pillow, keep leaning on each other like they had the night before. But he couldn’t, he _shouldn’t. _

Clearing his throat, he softly shook her arm with his other hand, “Jordynne… Jordynne, wake up.” 

“Hmmm,” She blinked herself awake, before snapping her eyes opening. “Uh, sorry!” She moved herself off of Ethan’s arm, smiling sheepishly.

She immediately stared at the incubator. As soon as she woke up, her eyes went to the incubator. “He made it!” 

Ethan nodded, “He’s getting stronger.” She beamed at him, her eyes twinkling at the good news. 

She glanced at her watch, before jumping up quickly, “Oh crap, I have rounds in twenty minutes. I need to get a shower.” Checking her pockets, she looked longingly at the incubator. 

“I’ll sit with him a bit longer.” Ethan comforted her. 

Jordynne nodded at him, pursing her lips. She grabbed onto the edge of the incubator, peering in on more time, “Hang in there little one.” She whispered to him, before turning on her heel. 

He swallowed as she watched her leave, _Do it. Do it now. _“Jordynne?” 

Her head whipped around, her blonde ponytail swinging. She paused in the doorframe, holding onto it. 

He rubbed his rough stubble, “Thank you.” His voice was sincere. 

She met his eye, a small smile stretching her pink lips, “Of course.” 

Ethan breathed in deeply, closing his eyes for a moment. He could smell her, her scent lingering on his coat from where she had slept on him. He chewed his lip, stopping himself from letting the pleasant noise out of his mouth. _God, what had he gotten himself into. _


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Rating: T (Swearing) – I just want to say there will be Mature parts to this as well. Just for an FYI….. 
> 
> Word Count: 2800+  
Description: Take me out to the ball game… Baseball chapter in Ethan’s POV 
> 
> Disclaimer: Characters, storyline, and parts of the dialogue are taken from Pixelberry’s Choices. They fully own the characters, dialogue, backgrounds, etc. MC Jordynne’s background is my own creation, based loosely off of MC in-game’s personality and provided with more details.
> 
> Author’s Note: Jordynne is a baseball fan, so I really wanted to do this chapter. A shorter one in comparison, but it is important to their development and relationship. Next two updates are Bryce x MC spicy, and then a headcanon fic that made me start this in the first place!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters, storyline, and parts of the dialogue are taken from Pixelberry’s Choices. They fully own the characters, dialogue, backgrounds, etc. MC Jordynne’s background is my own creation, based loosely off of MC in-game’s personality and provided with more details.

_“Harper, _don’t.” 

She grabbed the pager off of her hip, not looking up at him. Shoving it in her pocket, she flashed him a look. 

Grinding his molars together, he let out a loud breath through his nose. “Seriously? The only reason I’m here is because of you.” His voice was a harsh whisper. 

Harper flashed her eyes to him, “Dr. Ramsey, I need to go do _my _job_. You_, go do yours.” She pushed her finger into his chest, before turning on her heel and leaving. 

“My job,” He said through gritted teeth, “Is diagnosing patients, treating them and stopping the interns from killing them. _Not_ this.” 

“This is a part of it now, Ethan. As your boss, I’m telling you to do this.” 

He let out a harsh scoff, “As my boss? That’s all you are to me now.” Pushing past her, Ethan moved deeper in the room, looking out the window to the baseball pitch. 

He could hear Harper, apologizing for leaving and the fake regards from the executive team. He waited for the sound of her heels clicking away, before turning around. The strangers gave him wide smiles, sending him on edge. “I’ll be back,” He said, slipping away down the stairs. 

Taking the stairs two at a time, Ethan found himself in the lower bowl’s bar. He let out a sigh of relief — looking at the crowd of normal people. 

Sliding into a stool at the bar, Ethan leaned his elbow against the counter — waiting to get the bartender’s attention. 

It had been a long two days. Dolores was still weighing heavy in his mind — as was Naveen. And the _ridiculous _competition — he cracked his knuckles unconsciously. Another reason to be mad at Harper — she asked him for his opinion, he told her he was against it and she went forward with it anyways. While grieving his friend and dealing with the potential loss of Naveen, he had to deal with the unbearable excitement of the new competition. 

His face softened as he recalled yesterday, with Dr. Holland — she had known. Not about Naveen, but how Doreen had affected him. She had left the insistent questions of the competition behind, instead giving him some much-needed space. He hadn’t even realized she had slipped a chocolate bar in his pocket during a break until he was getting ready to head home.He had shoved his hand in his coat pocket, fumbling for his keys when he felt it. She hadn’t said anything — but he knew it was her._“You know, it’s okay to treat yourself sometimes.” _Her words had echoed in his head again, as he had opened up his desk drawer and placed it on top of the previous bar — still untouched. He had slammed the drawer shut — angry at himself. 

Staring blankly at the wall of liquor in front of him, he recalled the day when suddenly his ears perked up. He knew that voice. That _laugh. _Turning around, he saw her surrounded by her usual group of medical interns. Her blonde hair was let out in loose waves again, white shorts showing off her lean, tan legs and a cropped baseball jersey revealing a strip of her midriff. She had her arm wrapped around one of her friend’s elbows, giggling together as they headed towards the bar. But their eyes meet for a moment — her eyes flashing with confusion and then hesitation. 

Straightening up, he immediately turned around — his eyes wide. 

“Dr. Ramsey?”

Ethan felt his stomach tighten in a knot, “Rookie.” 

The next thing he knew they were sitting together on the leather white sofa in a private box. The Banner Health executives long gone, and they were both nursing the remains of their red wine. They sat in silence for a moment, looking out at the pitch below — watching players running around their bases. 

Ethan was exceptionally aware of the distance of his leg to hers. She had them crossed over each other casually, and he hadn’t failed to notice them in the sunshine beaming through the large windows. They looked so soft. 

Shifting his eyes away quickly, he noticed her looking at him. He furrowed his brows at her when she started to grin.

“One of our most promising young doctors,” She quoted him from earlier with the Banner executives, her smile teasing. 

“Stop.” He took another gulp of his wine, trying to stop the heat from spreading down his neck.

“The future of medicine,” She squished her nose at him, trying to stop her laughter. 

He rolled his eyes at her, “Well, I couldn’t very well introduce you as a colossal pain in my ass, now could I?” 

Her eyes flashed, looking a little hurt, “Is that what I am? A pain in your ass?” 

He chewed his lip, thinking carefully. “No. You’re not.”

Her finger trailed on the rim of her wine glass, thinking, “So, how do you think those talks went?” 

“Fair to middling. But work like this…,” He shook his head, “It’s not why I became a doctor.” 

She looked at him, her eyes filled with curiosity, “Why _did_ you become a doctor?”

Ethan raised his eyebrows at the question, staring out into the diamond field. He was silent for a moment, lost in his own thoughts. “To conquer. To defeat the mysteries that defeat us.”

He turned to Jordynne, “My turn.” He asked as he realized they had entered some sort of twenty questions. “Why have you not entered the competition for the fellowship?” 

Licking her pink lips, she hesitated for a moment. “Were you hoping I would?” 

_Yes. No. _He thought, unsure of how he felt about it. “It’s unbecoming to flatter yourself, Rookie. You can’t answer a question with a question.”

“You _were_ hoping, weren’t you?” She had noticed his evasion of her question as well. 

“Not in the slightest.” He half-lied, “You’re— It’s a mystery,” He corrected himself, “And I cannot resist a mystery. Nothing more.” He shrugged, taking another sip of his wine.

“I think you care because we’re becoming friends.” She matched his sip, smiling through her glass. 

He pursed his lips together, the top of his lips curving up, “Absolutely not.” 

“You’re just delaying the inevitable.” She said to him, raising an eyebrow.

A smile finally broke across his face, “As all doctors must.” His fingers played with the links on his watch for a moment, “Does it have anything to do with Dolores?” 

She shut her green eyes at the mention of her name, swallowing, “No.” Her voice was quiet. 

“It wasn’t anyone’s fault.” 

Jordynne nodded, “I know. You said.” She let out a loud breath, “I just need a day. Another day.” 

He watched as she nervously picked at her nails, still looking out at the baseball game. “Thank you,” He muttered. “For the chocolate.” 

A slow smile spread on her face, she looked hopeful, “Did it work?”

His blue eyes flickered to her — studying them. She really had wanted it too — to make him feel better, to help him with Dolores. He gulped, lying, “Yeah, it did.” 

Chewing her lip, she smiled again before taking another gulp of wine finishing off the glass. “I should probably get back to my friends.” She had pulled her phone out of her pocket, staring at it quickly. 

She stood up awkwardly, looking around the room, “Thanks for this, Dr. Ramsey.” 

Ethan gulped down the feeling of disappointment rising in him, “Right.” He put his hands on his knees, raising up to meet her. Walking to the door, he opened it for her. 

He watched as she pursed her lips, “I’ll see you tomorrow?” She phrased it like a question. 

The pair stood together, lingering at the door frame. Ethan realized how close they were standing — he could smell her perfume again, and the red wine they had just finished. Stepping back, he nodded, “Of course.” 

Her lips quirked into a smile before she left the room. 

Ethan let out a loud sigh as she left, his eyes moving to their empty glasses sitting on one of the coffee tables. He hadn’t realized how late it was — she had been with him for a few innings and the sun was turning pink. _What the hell was he doing_?

He hadn’t wanted to be alone. That was it. _But would he have asked one of the other interns if Jordynne hadn’t been there?_ She had done a damn good job with the execs too — she went above and beyond for the patients, for the hospital. And as an added bonus, she got him out of a boojee golf game with them too. 

She was still a mystery. He didn’t get her — he didn’t get the special hold she had on him. _Why did he care so much? _So she hadn’t signed up for the competition, so she had a glass of wine with him… So he could still feel how she felt sleeping on his shoulder the other day…

And the chocolate. 

_You know, it’s okay to treat yourself sometimes. _

Moving to the window, he leaned up against the glass — trying to pay attention to the eighth inning. _“Just focus on something else_”, he thought to himself. His eyes shot open wider as the pitcher curled over on himself, vomiting before going limp on the red dirt. Ethan’s pupils grew smaller as he started studying the scene, watching the coach jump out of the bleachers and run over to the player. 

His eyes darted over to a small group of people at the front, their hands flying up suddenly before one of the figures jumped up — rushing to the barrier. Ethan’s brows furrowed in confusion — he knew who it was, even from this distance. He watched as a familiar blonde swung her bare, tan legs over the side of the barrier. A few players rushed up to her, catching her as she slid down the green wall. Jordynne’s hair flicked wildly as she rushed to the unconscious pitcher, the players running behind her. She knelt down quickly beside him, her hand going to his neck. 

The other medical interns rushed down, being let in through a gate onto the field. Making it in time for a gurney to be rushed out onto the field. 

Ethan watched the scene unfold, a hint of pride in his smile as he watched her quickly work on the pitcher. _Not bad for a Rookie. _

Jamming his keys into his pocket, he pulled his car keys out before heading down the stairs. If he left now he could beat them to the hospital. 

* * *

Ethan had beat them there. But apparently he hadn’t beaten them to the diagnosis. When the EMT’s rolled in the pitcher, they provided the expected treatment to him. 

“The patient is Jake Sandburg, twenty-two years old. He collapsed from an accidental overdose from two medications — anxiety meds and NSAID. His kidneys…”   


“His kidneys are taking damage, we need to get some fluids in him, get him stable and start a detox.” Ramsey finished for him. One of the on-call attending’s took over, wheeling the patient towards a room.   


“Do you know who made the diagnosis?” He asked casually, arms crossed over his chest as he watched them wheel the patient away. 

“Yeah, she’s young, new here,” The EMT squinted his eyes, trying to remember, “Holland, that’s it! She’s good. Got it solved before we even showed up.” 

Ramsey’s lips twitched — suppressing a smile. “Hmm,” He hummed, hiding his pride. 

The EMT grabbed onto his radio, answering a call quickly before turning back to him. “He’s lucky she was there.” 

Ethan couldn’t help the smirk that spread on his face, “Yeah. He is.” 

* * *

Ethan hadn’t bothered to go home after that. He had locked himself in his office — files and textbooks spread across his desk. 

  
He could figure this out. He had to. Whatever was killing Naveen, he would figure it. 

  
The blue glow of his computer was casting light onto his tired face. He blinked, adjusting his glasses — he stared at the screen harder, rereading the same sentence again. “_Why can’t I figure this out?” _He thought, yelling at himself in his head. 

  
Leaning back in his chair, he threw his head up and looked at the ceiling. He could ask for help — _No, out of the question_. Who would he even ask?

Harper... She wouldn’t get it. She wouldn’t fight for Naveen like Ethan needed to. She wasn’t the same anymore. 

The other Attendings would spread gossip and rumors. He couldn’t trust them.

  
Holland? She‘s trustworthy. No one had come up asking for coffee from his office yet, or asking him about Dolores. A rookie, but a good doctor in the making. And she cares, _damn_ does she care. 

Chewing his lip, he thought about. No, he needed to do this. He doesn’t need someone else getting involved. It would get messy. Too complicated. 

A knock at his door caused him to flinch, he sat up properly in his chair. Straightening his tie, he coughed before speaking, “Come in.” 

Ethan looked down at the mess in front of him before taking off his glasses. He rubbed his eyes, letting them adjust as he stared at the blurry figure standing in his door frame. 

It was Dr. Holland. She was wearing leggings and slip-on sneakers — a big knit sweater hanging off of her, her tan shoulder peaking out. Blonde hair pulled up in a quick bun, no makeup on. He had never seen her like this before — it was either at the hospital or going out. Never the in-between, just at home being herself.   
A sheepish smile spread on her face as he realized he was still staring at her. “Rookie.” He said gruffly, finally acknowledging her presence out loud. 

Jordynne put a hand on her hip, “I want in.”

He flicked his blue eyes to the clock mounted on the wall behind her, reading the time. _One minute past midnight. _

He squinted at her, “I’m sure I made it clear that the cutoff was midnight.” Folding his hands in front of him, he spoke again, studying her, “So go ahead. Tell me why I should make an exception for you.” 

She stepped forward, not hesitating, “The entire reason I ranked Edenbrook first on my list of residences was because of _you _and the diagnostics team. All I’ve ever wanted to do is help people the way you do. Help the people everyone else has given up on. _Please _give me a chance to prove how worthy I am to do that.” 

Scratching his chin, Ethan pretended to think. He had to make her sweat a little. Finally, he let a small smile spread across her face, “You had me worried there.” 

Grabbing one of the many papers from his list, Ethan clicked his pen before scribbling her name to the bottom of the list. When he looked back up at her, she was beaming.

“Thank you, Dr. Ramsey.” 

He eyed her, “Don’t thank me. Just don’t make me regret it.” He started to clear off the papers on his desk, but he noticed she wasn’t leaving. “So you made the save on the baseball pitcher, huh?” 

“Well, my friends were —“ 

But he cut her off, “Jordynne, stop doing that. Don’t give other people your success.” 

Her pink mouth opened but she quickly shut it, “I...,” She stared down at her shoes as she spoke, “It’s not about who won. The patient is okay, that’s what matters.” 

“And what about when you lose?” He countered, pursing his lips.

Jordynne’s green eyes looked up to him, he noticed her gulp. 

“Cause when you lose, when the patient isn’t ok... I watch you take the blame. Even when it wasn’t your fault.” 

She chewed on her lip, letting out a loud sigh. “I know you said it wasn’t my fault with Dolores. But if I—“ 

“We aren’t doing this again, Jordynne.” He shook his head at her, keeping his voice soft. “It wasn’t either of our faults — or Dolores’. You should care — I _want_ you to care, Jordynne. But you have to keep going.”

She stood in the same spot, her feet planted, “Right, keep going.”

“Talk about it, take a break, eat some chocolate…” He gave her a small smile, “But just keep going. Or you will suffer and then your patients will.”

Pushing himself out of his chair, Ethan crossed the room towards her. “You’ve got to be back here in less than seven hours, Rookie.” 

A flicker crossed her face, but it vanished as she nodded at him. “Right,” She started backing away from him, “Sorry for interrupting.” 

His blue eyes studied hers for a moment, “You didn’t. I’ll see you tomorrow?” He questioned, repeating her from earlier. 

“Of course,” She lingered at the door, “Goodnight Dr. Ramsey.” 

Standing in the middle of his office, Ethan watched her go — closing the door softly. He rolled up his sleeves, before heading back to his desk — leaning over it, staring at the different files and paperwork. Letting out a loud sigh, he rubbed his eyes again — _He needed to figure this mystery. Now. _


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Rating: M (Swearing, Kissing, Smut, NSFW)
> 
> Word Count: 4800+
> 
> Description: Jordynne gets a glimpse into Ethan’s brain and gets Bryce into her bed. Ethan’s jealousy gets the best of him. 
> 
> Disclaimer: Characters, storyline, and parts of the dialogue are taken from Pixelberry’s Choices. They fully own the characters, dialogue, backgrounds, etc. MC Jordynne’s background is my own creation, based loosely off of MC in-game’s personality and provided with more details.
> 
> Author’s Note: The fMRI diamond scene in Ethan’s point of view! Jordynne hooks up with Bryce at her house warming party and Ethan finds out the next day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters, storyline, and parts of the dialogue are taken from Pixelberry’s Choices. They fully own the characters, dialogue, backgrounds, etc. MC Jordynne’s background is my own creation, based loosely off of MC in-game’s personality and provided with more details.

Why did he always seem to get himself in these situations with her? 

He was standing in the middle of a newly constructed room— his back turned to Jordynne as he loosened his tie. Gulping, he placed it down before shrugging off his lab coat and unbuttoning his shirt. “I’m ready,” He said, turning around to face her. 

It really didn’t matter — it was just for the test. For an experiment, _science. _His eyes darted to her pink lips, noticing her bite it slightly as she looked at his naked torso. 

Quickly looking away, he laid down on the cold metal table, adjusting himself before holding out his arm to her. She grabbed his arm gently, pressing her fingers against his wrist palpating the veins — he swallowed at her touch. His blue eyes watched her work, “You _do_ know how to perform an intravenous injection, don’t you?” 

She rolled her green eyes at him, before grabbing onto the syringe. “You’re about to find out.” A mischievous grin spreading across her face. Ethan took a deep breath as she inserted the needle, focusing on the feeling of her warm hand on his forearm and the spreading cold sensation of the Gadolinium being injected into him. 

He let out the breath as she took the needle away, watching as she disposed of it and peeled off her rubber gloves. “Well done. Barely felt a thing.” 

Jordynne fixed her ponytail, smirking at him again, “I _did _go to medical school, you know.” Striding back to the machine, she loomed over him for a moment, “See you on the other side,” She pressed a button on the fMRI and Ethan felt the metal table start to slide into the donut of the enclosure. 

He heard the click of her steps as she headed up into the control room. Taking a deep breath, Ethan tried to relax his mind. Why would she invite _him_ to her housewarming party? Did she want him there? Or was it a general invitation? Did she actually think he would go? Or could go? 

Even if he could, he needed to spend all of his down time on Naveen. That was his priority. 

“Can you hear me alright?” Jordynne’s honeyed voice spoke through the speaker within the enclosure.

“Loud and clear,” Ethan closed his eyes, preparing himself. “Very loud, in fact.” 

“Ha ha.” He could hear the smile in her voice, even through the speaker. “Beginning the first scan,” 

The machine started to _whir_ around him, humming as the cycling began. He laid perfectly still for a moment, before curiosity got the best of him, “How is it looking?” 

There was a pause, “Your brain looks… like a brain.” 

He let out a chuckle, “I suppose I should be grateful for that.” Opening his eyes, he looked back inside the contraption — noticing all the moving parts, “So far, so good. Now let’s test the detection of the contrast media. Ask me some questions. Different parts of my brain should illuminate with increased hemodynamic flow.” This is why he had asked Holland — he trusted her so far, they had always played their questions game before. Now there just was a machine showing her his brain while he answered — it was only a little intimate. 

“What kind of questions?” She asked softly. 

He let out a breath, “Perhaps you could start with “‘Why am I making Dr. Ramsey think of everything?'”

“Fine, uh,” She hesitated, “Who do you love most in the world?”

Ethan blinked — _that had gotten serious fast._ “That’s…. quite a first question.” 

Jordynne’s soft laugh made it through the speakers, “Just trying to provoke an emotional response in the scan.” 

He stayed silent — thinking. He thought to his empty apartment, his naked ring finger. No one there. _Did he love Harper anymore_? Not really — not like before. His parents? It had been months, almost a year since he had spoken to them. Even when he did, it was a simple conversation around the holidays and work. Nothing more. Naveen? He couldn’t go down that route — not now.

His nostrils flared as he finally spoke, “I was once close with my family, though that time has passed. I suppose I feel a strong affection for my dog, Jenner.” He thought of his pet — it had been a couple of days since he had been home. He really should go see him.

“You named your dog after Kylie?” 

His thick brows furrowed, “I absolutely did not! Edward Jenner was the —“ 

But Jordynne cut him off, her voice filled with humor, “The father of immunology. I know. I was just messing with you.” 

A laugh escaped his lips. _Of course, she knew that._

“And it worked. Your amygdala lit it up like a Christmas tree when I got you riled up.” 

Ethan felt his face get hot — _riled up._ “Let’s move along. Next question.” 

“What’s your proudest accomplishment?”

“Hmm…” He paused again, thinking. She was good at this.

“Was it when you won the Adeyemi Prize? Or when you were selected to be the keynote at the AADM conference?” 

Her knowledge of his accomplishments made him flush. _She knows way too much about it, but almost nothing at all at the same time._ He thought. “No, no, nothing like that. I think it was when I applied for med school.” 

“When you… applied?” Her voice was confused.

“Yes.” He said with certainty, “All those other things were other people’s decisions. What I’m most proud of is my decision. To leave behind what had been planned for me and embark on my own path.” He remembered the day he had received his acceptance letter, the look on his father’s face. 

“Do you want kids?” The question caused him to blink back to reality. 

Ethan clamped his mouth down, not saying anything for so long, that Jordynne reached out again, “Dr. Ramsey?” 

“I heard you. I’m thinking.” It was a difficult question. He longed for something he didn’t have now, that he wasn’t sure he could ever have. He had day-dreamed of it before — a big, stretched out belly of a faceless woman, baby-proofing his apartment, a sense of excitement and nervousness of being a father. But who would dare settle down with him, the emotionally unavailable, workaholic diagnostician? Who would commit to raising a family with a semi-present partner — someone who would take care of his patients over his own child? 

“I’m not sure if that’s in the cards for me.” 

“No?” Her voice was gentle.

Ethan swallowed, “I don’t think I’d be able to be there for them, at least not the way they would need. Besides, I’ve seen too many horror stories firsthand.” He thought to Dolores, to the ward full of children with cancer a few floors up from them, the busy NICU. 

Letting out a sigh, he continued, “Okay, one more. Ask something complex.” 

“Alright…,” She hesitated, he could hear her breath through the speakers.

“Out with it Jordynne.” 

“What do you think of attending-resident relationships?” She blurted out.

Ethan’s blue eyes snapped open, staring into the inside of the fMRI. “I’m sorry?” 

She didn’t miss a beat, “You heard me.”

He furrowed his brows, “Attendings are responsible for the management and training of the residents. That has to take priority. Romantic entanglements… interfere with that. We’re doctors.” _Why would she ask this? _He wished he could see her face, study it to try and figure out what was going on her head right now. ‘Cause his mind was reeling. Licking his lips, he continued, “Besides, any intimate feelings are just neurochemical responses to heightened stress and frequent exposure to each other.” His heart hammered in his chest, waiting for her response. 

“Riiiight.” She drawled, before letting out a laugh.

Letting out a huff, Ethan closed his eyes. “I think we’re done here.” 

The humming of the machine suddenly stopped, and the metal table slid out of the contraption. He got up quickly, grabbing onto his discarded clothes. Ethan had just finished buttoning up his shirt as Jordynne appeared from the control room.

He coughed before speaking, “I take it the machine is working normally?” 

“Like a charm.” Her green eyes followed his fingers as he re-tied the knot in his tie. 

“Excellent. Thank you… for the assistance.” He gulped — trying to get a read on her. 

“Anytime.” Her pink lips spread into a smile, “Next time, you can ask the questions.” 

Ethan nodded awkwardly at her, before turning on his heel. He thought that doing this fMRI would take his mind off of things — but it had only made things worst. Opening his mouth to speak, he thought about questioning her but he thought better of it. “Rookie,” He nodded again, before leaving the room without another word, leaving Dr. Holland alone in the room. 

* * *

Bracing the heavy beer keg on her hip, Jordynne fumbled in front of their apartment building — trying to get the door open. Her arms were exhausted — not only did she have to lug this thing on the subway, but she couldn’t get the smell of vomit off of her, even after her shower. It had been a long day to say the least.

And Dr. Ramsey had been even harder to read than usual. She thought she was making ground with him — after Dolores, at the baseball game. But he had refused to come tonight, even though other Attendings were coming. And he seemed so awkward after the fMRI questioning — maybe she had gone too far. But she was so curious — she had Ethan’s brain in front of her, she couldn’t help herself. 

Her eyebrows furrowed as left the elevator, hopping out onto their floor to find a packed hallway. “Sorry, excuse me,” She twisted her body around the large group of people before finding her apartment door already open. It was packed with people — most of them hospital staff. 

“Holy crap,” She muttered to herself, too quiet to be heard over the loud music and laughter as people played drinking games. 

“Jordynne!” A blur of brown caused her to jump, as Ines wrapped her arms around her in a half-hug. Some of her drink sloshed around in her cup, drenching the back of Jordynne’s shirt. “Thanks so much for inviting us!” Her voice sounded slightly slurred. 

Jordynne smiled politely as Dr. Mirani approached, “Oh! Dr. Miarani! I’m, uh… really glad you could join us.” 

Ines let out a laugh, hitting her arm gently, “We’re outside the hospital, you can call him Zaid!” 

Jordynne shuffled her feet, trying to balance the weight of the heavy key but not wanting to be rude.

Zaid gave her a sheepish smile, “This is really great, Holland. I’m loving this party.” 

“I can’t tell if he’s being sarcastic,” Jordynne said to herself, shaking her head before she started to waddle towards the kitchen, weaving through the crowd, “Excuse me, sorry… Coming through!” 

Suddenly the weight in her arms was alleviated, and she turned around and was face to face with Bryce. “Lemme help with that. I was wondering where you were.” 

She smiled, following him into the kitchen as he placed the keg on the counter. “At the hospital, getting puked on. _Again._” 

His brown eyes flashed, a grin growing on his face. “I love when you talk dirty.” 

Barking out of a laugh, she grabbed onto his bicep easily, “At least one of us does. Give me a minute to get showered and changed.” 

“I’ll be here,” He winked at her before turning back to the keg to finish setting it up. 

Rushing into the bathroom closest to her room, Jordynne flung her clothes into the basket, threw up her hair and jumped into the shower. She started scrubbing at her skin, trying to get the smell of vomit _and_ booze off of her. A smile spread across her face as she thought of Bryce waiting for her out there. They had been spending more time together — catching each other in the cafeteria, drinks after work at Donahue’s and the occasional supply room make out. It was _easy _with him. No questions, no uncertainty. 

Closing her eyes, she let the waterfall over her face for a moment while she remained thinking. It wasn’t like how it was Ethan. Not that her and Ethan made out in supply closets. But he was so exasperating — one moment he was confiding in her, trusting her and the next she was back to being called “Rookie”. And _why_ did he not want to come tonight? 

_Why did it bother her so much that he didn’t want to? _

Sighing, she turned off the shower, grabbing a nearby towel and wrapping herself in it. She didn’t need to get riled up about Ethan. Bryce was here, and he _wanted_ to be here. That’s what mattered.

Standing in front of the mirror, Jordynne quickly put on some fresh makeup — her long lashes curled and pink lips shiny with gloss. Letting her hair down again, she fussed with it until it framed her face. 

Sneaking into her room, she stood in front of her wardrobe rummaging through her clothes. A shiny, red top caught her eye and she pulled it on with ease, leaving her bra behind. Jumping into a pair of tight black jeans, she paused in front of the mirror. As she headed to open her bedroom door, she paused to squirt some perfume onto her pulse points before heading back into the loud living room. 

Somehow it seemed even busier in the apartment than it had when she left, but Jordynne found Bryce easily. He matched her smile as they met eyes, but it faltered as his eyes trailed up and down her body. 

He walked up to her, his eyebrows raised. “Oh, _damn._” 

She pursed her lips, “Problem?” 

Taking a sip from his red cup, Bryce shook his head, “Just admiring the transformation.” 

Jordynne let a sly smile spread across her face, “Are you saying I looked terrible before?” 

He stepped closer to her, she could smell his warm and fresh scent. “I’m saying you look _killer_ now.” He whispered in her ear.

She eyed the drink in his hand, before looking up to meet his eyes, “I need to see a doctor about some shots.” 

A mischievous grin grew on his lips, “I think I’m due for some of those myself. Lead the way!” 

Jordynne grabbed onto his forearm, pulling him with her towards the drinks. 

Several shots, drinks, and beer pong games later, Jordynne’s tan skin was flushed red from the booze. The night had turned quiet about an hour before, many of the guests had started to leave once they had finished up their games. She finished hugging Ines, before turning on her heel back into the living room. Looking around at the mess and few people left behind, she muttered to herself, “Wow. What a party…” 

She noticed Bryce in the dining room, collecting cans into a recycling bag. A small smile spread over her face as she padded over to him. He noticed her, “Just about done cleaning up over here, Jordynne…” 

Grabbing onto some nearby cans, Jordynne closed the distance between them — adding them into the blue bag. 

“Thank you,” He said, starting to tie up the full bag. 

“Thank _me? _You’re the one staying late to clean up _our_ party.” 

He shrugged, “Eh. Force of habit, I guess. Messes seem to follow me around for some reason. I’m pretty used to cleaning them up at this point.”

She looked around at the cleaning room, “I can see that.” Grabbing the bag out of his hands, she placed it next to the couch. “You know…,” She bit her lip, eyeing Bryce’s mouth. “You don’t have to go home.” 

“Oh yeah?” He lowered his voice, edging closer to her, “And where would I sleep?” 

Jordynne licked her lips, grabbing onto his bicep, “With me.”

Bryce let out a breath, “I was hoping you’d say that.” 

Lowering her hand, she wrapped her fingers around his before pulling him down the hallway. As soon as they were out of the sight of the others, their lips crashed together passionately — both of their mouths tasting of booze. Jordynne fumbled for her doorknob behind her until they both staggered backward into the room — not breaking their kiss. 

Grabbing onto Jordynne’s chin, Bryce took control of the kiss — pressing her up against the wooden door, slowing the kiss down and deepening it. 

Breaking their kiss, she opened her eyes, “Do you think anyone saw us?” 

“Do you care?” He smirked. 

“Not really.” 

“Good,” He slid his hands under Jordynne’s sequinned shirt, his fingers trailing up her spine. He chuckled as she let out a happy sigh, before stopping his hand. “No bra?” He questioned, feeling her bareback. 

The pair looked down at her cleavage before he looked up smirking. “You are gorgeous and I need to see a whole lot more of you.” Tugging at her top, Jordynne lifted her arms over her head so he could pull it off. The cold air caused her nipples to harden slightly. Bryce eyed her hungrily, before pushing his lips back onto hers. His kisses trailed down to her chin, then her neck and down her bare shoulders.

“Mmm…,” Jordynne let out as she leaned into the gesture. 

Bryce grabbed onto her hips, his strong hands spinning her around to press her ass into him. He continued kissing her neck, biting gently every so often as he played with the top of her jeans. His fingers effortlessly slid into her pants, feeling Jordynne’s smooth skin. She shuttered at the feeling as he groaned in her ear, “You went commando? _God_, you’re hot.” 

With a quick zip, her pants were at her ankles and she was stepping out of them, stark naked compared to Bryce, who was still fully dressed. “You are… very good at this.” She was a little breathless.

“I’m good at a lot of things,” He smirked, raising an eyebrow at her. He grabbed the back of her head, capturing her mouth again — his hands roaming to her back, to her breasts to her hips to her inner thigh. 

Jordynne’s knees buckled slightly, but she continued to whisper to him, “You _did _tell me you had the best hands…” 

“And?” His voice muffled through kissing her neck and chest.

“And _I _need more convincing,” See smirked, moving her neck away from his greedy lips. 

Bryce let out a laugh, putting his hands on her hips and guiding her towards the bed. The backs of Jordynne’s knees hit her mattress, and she squinted at him. “How am I completely naked while you’re still dressed?” 

He bit his lip, staring down at her, “Feel free to fix that.” 

Grabbing onto the hem of his sweater, Jordynne pulled it over his head — pushing his messy hair back. Taking charge, her long fingers started unbuttoning his shirt — revealing his tan chest. Her pink lips met his warm skin, as she kissed his collarbone. Her fingers pushed his shirt aside, feeling his hard abs. His shirt hit the floor, as she playfully pushed him onto the bed — his body bouncing up and down on the mattress. A devilish smile crossed her lips, as she unbuttoned his jeans and started tugging them down. 

Bryce watched her looming over him, and he swallowed. “Better?”

She crawled on top of him, putting her knees on either side of him, “So much.” Leaning down, Jordynne kissed him. His strong arms came around her middle, pushing her into him tightly. As their kisses turned more passionate, their hips began to move against each other. Jordynne could feel him twitching between the thin fabric of his underwear. His fingertips dug into her hips at the feeling. 

Bryce broke the kiss, his eyes studying hers for a moment — both of them breathless. “Are you sure you want this?” 

Bending over, she nipped at his earlobe, “Keep going, Lahela.” 

His brown eyes darkened with desire, “Whatever you want, Jordynne.” His fingers slid down her hips into her inner thigh. 

She closed her eyes, relishing in the touch, “_Whatever _I want?” 

Suddenly, his strong hands flipped her over — her blonde hair wildly splayed out on the bed as he pressed her onto her back. Her tan legs wrapped around his waist, pulling him into her. He pressed his lips to hers again, the kisses long and soft. 

“Tell me.” His perfect fingers untangled from her hair, trailing down her jawline, her neck, the curve of her breasts before settling just under her belly button. “Jordynne? What do you want?” 

She gulped, looking at him through her thick lashes, “I want you to touch me.” 

Biting his lip, his fingers slid down her leg before cupping her. She squirmed under his touch, causing him to smile, “You’re stunning.” He whispered, his lips teasing hers as his fingers plunged into her. 

Jordynne let out a moan at the feeling, before crashing her mouth back onto his — muffling her sounds. She lifted her hips off of the bed, pushing his fingers deeper inside her. She broke their kiss, trying to catch her breath, “You really do have the best hands.” 

He grinned, before placing his mouth on her breast — enveloping her nipple. She let out a sound as he let go of it, another smile breaking across his face at her reaction. “You should see what the rest of me can do,” His lips started trailing down her stomach, then her hips, her thigh until his mouth met his fingers. 

Jordynne threw her head back, her fingers grabbing onto Bryce’s soft hair, pulling on it gently as he licked at her. Her thighs started trembling as a familiar warmth started building in her belly, “Oh, Bryce…” She let out a loud moan, her thighs tightening around his strong shoulders as she found her release. Biting her lip, she whimpered — trying to keep quiet in the apartment filled with people. 

Finally, her legs relaxed, falling to his side. Bryce knelt between her legs, his eyes smoldering as he stared at Jordynne — her long, blonde hair sprawled out behind her, her chest rising and falling as she tried to catch her breath. “And?” 

She let out a happy sigh, “You are good at a lot of things.” 

He let out a breathy laugh, before pushing his hips back into hers. She could feel his hard member, twitching in the thin fabric of his underwear. The pair groaned at the feeling, and Jordynne pushed her fingers into the waistband of his briefs. 

Bryce closed his dark eyes, his mouth opening as she grabbed onto him. Gulping, he opened his mouth to speak but Jordynne cut him off, “Top drawer.” 

He grinned at her, before reaching over to the nightstand and grabbing a condom. It tore open easily, and he quickly slipped off his underwear before kneeling back down between Jordynne. She took it from him, pumping his shaft in her hand before rolling the condom on for him. Bryce closed his eyes, arching his back at her touch. 

Bending over, their lips caught in a kiss again — and Jordynne felt herself melt into Bryce. She opened her legs for him, his hips burying into hers. The pair let out a gasp as he entered her, her walls stretching to let him in. Grabbing onto her leg, he hooked it around his waist, his shaft shoving into her more deeply. 

“Bryce!” Jordynne let out, squirming beneath him as he withdrew from her before thrusting back in. He silenced her with an open-mouthed kiss, swallowing her moans. The kiss was urgent and raw — she grabbed onto his shoulder, bracing herself as their hips rocked faster and harder together. 

The feeling of coming undone came closer and closer, and she tipped her head back, “I’m gonna, I’m gonna —“ 

“_Fuck, _Jordynne," Bryce groaned, his hands bracing himself on her hips, his fingers squeezing her. His hips started pumping erratically, Jordynne biting down on her lip to keep quiet as the insides of her eyes went white. He grunted soon after, spilling into her. 

The pair stared into each other’s eyes for a moment, both of their chests heaving as they tried to catch their breath. Bryce stayed hovering over her, before pressing his lips softly to hers. Pulling back, he smiled at her, “We’re gonna do that again, right?” 

Jordynne let out a laugh, kissing his tan cheek, “Hell yeah.” 

* * *

Golden light trickled in through the cafeteria window, casting a glow on the crowd of people inside. Ethan was sitting in the corner at a table all by himself — a closed textbook and tray of food in front of him. He didn’t frequent the cafeteria very often, but he had needed to take a break from his office. He was spending every spare moment in there — before work, coffee breaks, lunch, after work. Any spare moment he had to be used to research Naveen’s condition. But he still hadn’t come up with anything. So instead of blankly staring at his computer upstairs, Ethan was blankly staring out of the window, chewing quietly.

Ethan let out a sigh as a pair of particularly chatty nurses sat down at the table near him. _There goes his peaceful lunch hour. _He started to grab his things, ready to leave but he overheard something that made him stop. 

“Last night was so much fun.” 

“Same, Varma and Holland sure know how to throw a party.” The two nurses gossiped, both of them scrolling through their phones. 

Ethan sat back down, opening up the textbook in front of him and pretending to read. Even though he had refused to go, he was still interested. 

“Their roommates are cool too. Elijah’s taste in music was great.” 

The other nurse rolled her eyes, “Honestly, Vera just talk to him. Besides, who was looking at anyone but Lahela. God, I could eat him with a spoon.” She flashed her friend her phone, before turning it back to herself with a smile. 

“I think Jordynne, beat you to that.” 

Ethan’s eyebrows furrowed, “_What?”_ He thought. 

“What?!” The other nurse echoed Ethan’s thoughts, her mouth hanging open in disbelief.

“You saw them last night, they were all _over_ each other. Besides, Tanya’s friends with his roommate and _apparently_ Bryce never came home last night.” 

Ethan gulped, confused at the twisting feeling he felt in his stomach. 

“Damn, good job Holland.” 

Ethan’s chairs scrapped loudly as he suddenly pushed it back — standing up. The two nurses looked up to him, taken aback by his sudden movement. Gulping, he grabbed onto the textbook before racing out of the cafeteria. 

He could feel a heat spreading on his neck, and his fingers were curling into a fist. He should have just gone to the stupid party — taken a break from Naveen’s case, then maybe nothing would have happened between them. _Why did he care that something had happened between them? _She wasn’t _his. _She was his intern, a rookie. Nothing else. 

Still, as he thought that he couldn’t help but feel the knot in his stomach. He wasn’t jealous. He wasn’t.

He stopped dead in his tracks as he turned out of the elevator, swallowing hard. Of course, Jordynne’s face was the first that he saw. She was leaning against the nurse's station, a huge smile plastered on her face. She was twirling her pen around nervously, speaking with someone he couldn’t see. 

Moving down the hallway, his steps faltered once more. It was Lahela, leaning up next to her casually — his elbow propping up his head as he watched her. Ethan gripped the textbook in his hand harder as he watched him lean into her, whispering into her ear. Jordynne let out a laugh, swatting at the surgeon’s muscular arm. 

Setting his jaw, Ethan started to stride past them, catching a piece of their conversation. “Come on… you _know_ you want to.” The surgeon growled at her, his voice low and suggestive. 

Jordynne’s green eyes went wide, her face flushing as she noticed Ethan walking past, “And I will see you later.” 

She tried to fall into step with him, but Ethan picked up his pace. He did _not_ want to see her right now. His mind was still reeling, and he felt like throwing the textbook in his hand at a wall. 

“Morning Dr. Ramsey,” She greeted him softly, but he ignored it. She didn’t give up, “I just wanted to give you an update—“

He turned on his heel, finally facing her, “Not now, Rookie. Find someone else to bother.” His nostrils flared. 

Her pink mouth opened in surprise, taken aback by his reaction. 

Ethan didn’t wait for her to reply, before spinning around and heading in the opposite direction. _Distance yourself. Distance yourself. _He repeated the thought in his head, marching away from her as fast as possible. 


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Rating: T (Swearing) Warning: Blood, Trauma
> 
> Word Count: 3000+
> 
> Description: Jordynne’s personal life crashes into her work life in an unexpected way. Who is there to help her pick up the pieces?
> 
> Disclaimer: Characters, storyline, and parts of the dialogue are taken from Pixelberry’s Choices. They fully own the characters, dialogue, backgrounds, etc. MC Jordynne’s background is my own creation, based loosely off of MC in-game’s personality and provided with more details.
> 
> Author’s Note: No dialogue from the game! An entire chapter of my own invention!! This was actually the very first thing I wrote, and then I decided I wanted to start from the beginning with my MC Jordynne and Bryce and Ethan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters, storyline, and parts of the dialogue are taken from Pixelberry’s Choices. They fully own the characters, dialogue, backgrounds, etc. MC Jordynne’s background is my own creation, based loosely off of MC in-game’s personality and provided with more details.

Bouncing on the balls of her feet, Jordynne tried her best to get her energy back up. Her shift was supposed to be over 3 hours ago, but the flu was wiping out staff this week and they needed her to cover ER. It hadn’t been too hectic of a day, and at the moment all of her patients were stable or being discharged. 

  
Bryce had stopped by to check in on her, but she insisted she would be fine and would text him later. She had seen Jackie — but her roommate had turned on her heel the second they made eye contact. 

  
Crumbling yet another paper coffee cup into the trash, she felt the hairs on her arms rise as she heard the distant wail of a siren. Rushing to the bay door, Jordynne swung around the corner just as the EMTs opened up the door. It wasn’t Rafael. But she swallowed the disappointment of not seeing her new friend when she saw the state of the patient they were bringing in. 

  
The EMT’s voice was panicked, as they moved the stretcher down, rolling them into the hospital. “Officer Diaz, 32 years old, shot on duty.” She noticed their gloves, already stained with blood. 

  
Reaching into her coat pocket, Jordynne pulled on a pair of latex gloves, taking over for the pale Paramedic keeping pressure on the man’s upper thigh. “How many gunshots?” Her trained eyes glanced over the man’s body, as her feet shuffled along with the stretcher as he was rolled into the ER. 

  
“Just the one?” The EMT stammered, “We kept pressure on the wound. Pulse is fast but weak.” 

  
Finally, the stretcher stopped, and nurses sidled up to Doctor Holland. “Pasek, take over.” The second the weight of her hand left his leg, the white cloth darkened with blood. “He’s losing too much blood.” 

  
Thrusting a pair of scissors at the EMT still standing with her, she instructed him to start cutting out the uniform. Quickly visualizing a list in her mind, Jordynne grabbed the stethoscope off her neck and placed it into her ears. Sliding it through the button-up shirt, she closed her eyes — listening. “He’s having trouble breathing. I need to....” But her words stopped as she looked down the stretcher. 

  
The patient’s body finally exposed after the uniform being hastily cut off, Jordynne’s eyes widened. A second gunshot wound was revealed in the patient’s abdomen. Racing to press her hands over it, her latex glove snagged and ripped open. The blood was coming warm and fast through her fingers. “CODE OMEGA. We need a trauma surgeon.” Her eyes didn’t leave the patient, her pupils shifting left and right as she thought. “NOW.” She screamed. 

  
She could see blurry shapes running past her, and the stretcher was moving. Jordynne’s sneakers were squeaking as she ran to keep up with the stretcher — her and nurse Pasek was keeping pressure on the wounds. She stared at the police officer’s face, now pale and clammy. “Hypovolemic shock!” Doctor Holland blurted out as they turned the corner into the OR. 

  
The on-call trauma surgeon rushed forward, already in their gear, support staff taking the stretcher for them. Jordynne kept her hands clamped to the officer’s stomach, her jaw clenched. 

  
“Doctor Holland. You can let go now.” Doctor Nguyen grabbed onto her elbow gently, forcing her off of the patient. Quickly, the surgical team moved into action. 

Jordynne watched as they suddenly became a blur, the sound of barking orders and instructions turning into a buzzing, high ringing sound. The sound of her heart beating and breathing suddenly pounding in her ears. She felt herself being tugged out of the room, and the blinding fluorescent lighting of the hallway snapped her back. Staring down at her hands, she looked at the ripped gloves hanging off of her fingers. They were covered in blood, dripping onto the shiny white floor below her. 

  
“Rookie.” She didn’t look up — still staring blankly at the mess she was making.

  
“Holland!” There it was again. 

“Jordynne.” The voice was a lot more gentle this time. She looked up when she felt someone grab her shoulders, and stared into Ethan’s blue eyes. 

He kept his hands on her shoulders, steadying her. “Hey, where are you right now Jordynne?” 

  
She lifted her hands up in response — the bloody mess hovering between them. “I — I,” 

“Christ,” He whispered under his breath, turning her into his side and moving her down the hallway. “You! Back to the ER. Page Crowley and Thomson to cover!” He barked at the nurse who had escorted the patient with Jordynne. The nurse nodded in return before running off in the opposite direction. 

Guiding her into an empty OR room, Ethan stood Jordynne over the sterilization sink. Leaving her for a second, he kicked the door closed before returning to her. She was shaking now, drops of blood plunking off of her hands and into the metal basin. 

  
Turning on the tap, he grabbed onto her wrists gently dunking them under the water. Rolling the broken latex gloves off of her hands, he threw them in the trash. Lathering up soap, he held her hands in his for a moment — despite the warm blood covering them, her skin was freezing. He started massaging the suds gently into her skin, between her fingers, up onto her forearms. He watched as the water turned from red to pink to clear. Ethan let the water run over their joint hands, squeezing Jordynne’s fingers until he felt the trembling stop. Grabbing paper towel, he carefully wiped both of their hands dry before finally letting go of hers.

  
Inspecting her for any more blood, he eyed the blood that had seeped its way onto her white sleeves. Stepping behind her, he tugged at the back of it — gesturing for her to take it off. She moved her arms back, shrugging the lab coat off of her, leaving her in her scrubs. Her blonde ponytail flicked with the movement, her scent wafting in Ethan’s nose. He sucked it in, her perfume of jasmine and vanilla making him let out the softest sound. Chewing down on the inside of his cheek, he rolled up the dirty lab coat and placed it off to the side. 

  
Grabbing her elbow, he gently spun Jordynne around — ducking his face down a bit so he could see into her eyes better. “Jordynne, are you with me?” He asked softly. 

  
Blinking her long lashes, he watched her green eyes shifts back into focus. “Yeah...yeah.” She breathed out, glancing down at her clean hands. “Thank you.” 

“First trauma like that?” Ethan asked, stuffing his hands into his pockets — he was too tempted to grab onto her tan fingers again. 

  
“Um, yeah. I’ve never seen that much blood... so fast.” She gulped, her white teeth biting the corner of her lip. 

  
“I heard some of the nurses upstairs, saying a gunshot victim was in the ER. I came down as soon as I could.” 

  
Her green eyes went big, a flash of hurt crossing them. “You didn’t think I could handle it?” 

  
Ethan scoffed, “I _know_ you can handle it. Doesn’t mean I wanted you to have to do it alone.” He chewed the inside of his lip a bit harder as her big eyes looked up to him. 

  
“My brother’s a cop.” She blurted out. “In Portland. I think that’s why — that’s why I froze at the end.” She licked her pink lips, “That could have been him. It could be him, back home.” 

  
A soft knock at the door startled the pair, breaking the intense moment. The surgical attending opened the door, his hat in his hands and eyes low. “I just called it. Too much blood loss. Sorry, Holland.” He grimaced, before turning back around. 

  
T ears welled up in Jordynne’s eyes, but she blinked to force them down. A ragged breath left her as she spoke. “Is ER covered?” 

  
Ethan nodded, his eyes darting between hers — watching her reaction. 

“I need to go.” She said suddenly, grabbing onto her lab coat and turning to the door. 

“Rookie, wait,” He followed after her, attempting to reach out his long arm to get a hold of her hand. But she was too fast — she was practically jogging now, her hand up near her face, hiding the emotion on it. He finally got a hold of one of her fingers — he curled his hand around it, dragging her to a stop. 

  
She spun around to face him, her pony swinging around wildly. “Ethan, don’t.” 

  
“Jordynne, don’t leave the hospital with this baggage. Talk it through.” 

  
But she shook her head at him, pieces of her ponytail falling out from the motion. 

  
He furrowed his eyebrows, confused. “We did it with Dolores.” 

  
“I can’t...,” She glanced around the brightly lit hallway around them, “Not with you… not _here_.” Taking her hand back from him, she ran into the locker room not looking back. 

Ethan stood dumbfounded in the middle of the hallway, not moving. _Not with you. What the hell did that mean? _Anger washed over him as Lahela came through the entrance doors, running through the atrium in his blue jeans with his pager out. 

The surgical interns glanced over at the emergency room doors, before approaching Ramsey. “Did you admit the trauma victim? Did they get enough staff for the surgery?” 

Flaring his nostrils, Ramsey let out a loud breath, “Doctor Nguyen already called time of death. It was Doctor Holland’s patient.”

His brown eyes went wide, “Shit…” For once, it seemed like he was at a loss of words. 

Ethan ground his teeth together, pointing to the staff locker room. He thought of Jordynne’s teary eyes,her trembling hands. She had made it clear, she didn’t want him — but she was going to need someone’s shoulder to cry on. “She’s in there, Lahela.”

“Right, yeah. Thanks.” Bryce blinked back to reality, patting Ethan on the arm before heading over to the locker room. “Jordy? It’s me.” He called in through the door, before entering. 

Wrapping his fingers into a fist, Ethan’s knuckles went white as he tried to control his anger. Turning on his heel, he stalked off to the stairwell. He took the stairs two at a time, his dress shoes sending sounds echoing through the concrete room. He stopped at the third-floor landing, his heart hammering in his chest — but not from the exercise. Leaning forward into the stair window, he pressed his forehead to the cool glass, closing his eyes for a moment. 

_Not with you. Not here. _Every time he thought he had figured her out, she threw him another curveball. The patient had reminded her of a family member — he had experienced the same thing, he could talk her through that. He still could remember the day he helped the woman who reminded him so much of his mother that it made the hairs on his neck stand up when she greeted him. 

Opening his eyes, figures moving outside immediately caught his attention. He could still make out that it was her — even in the dark. He could recognize that wild, blonde ponytail anywhere. She was changed out of her scrubs, a black rain jacket wrapped around her. She was leaning on the surgical intern, Lahela — his arm wrapped around her waist as she tucked her face into the side of his neck, he was carrying her messenger bag for her. He kissed the top of her head, before pulling her towards the subway station with him. 

Ethan’s brows furrowed together furiously, his blue eyes turning stormy as he thought to himself, “_That should be me."_

* * *

The sound of a vibration on the nightstand caused Jordynne to stir. Blindly reaching across, her fingers struggled to find her phone. Finally, she found purchase and moved the screen closer to her face — she had taken out her contacts, her glasses at home.

She had a few texts, two from her roommates Sienna and Elijah — asking if she was OK, why she wasn’t home. She quickly texted them back, telling them she stayed over at Bryce’s. Before flipping to the final text — it was an unknown number, but she didn’t need to ask who it was. 

> You okay, Rookie?  sent 2:34 am

Jordynne felt the corner’s of her mouth tug up. She quickly typed back. 

> I’m better. Thank you.  sent 2:36 am

She put the phone to her chest, closing her eyes for a moment. She strained her neck, looking behind her. Bryce was sleeping peacefully — his arms sprawled out and his chest to the mattress, his hair somehow still messily perfect. Biting her lip out of guilt, she picked up her phone to send another text. 

> I just meant that I didn’t want to get into it right there in the middle of the hallway by the way. Not that I didn’t want to talk to you.  sent 2:37 am

She felt like she had barely hit send before he replied back. 

> Good.  sent 2:37 am
> 
> See you in a few hours, Jordynne.  sent 2:37 am

In the dark, she smiled at the thought. Placing her phone back on the nightstand next to her, she moved back to lay down. 

She suddenly felt Bryce’s strong hands grab onto her, running up and down her side. “You okay?” He mumbled, his eyes still closed. 

“Yeah,” She whispered back, letting him pull her into him. He placed his hand lazily onto her hip, before he fell back asleep. Jordynne laid in the dark for a moment, staring at the dark silhouette of Bryce’s bedroom furniture. At that moment, she really wished she was home — but she wasn’t sure which home she actually meant. 

* * *

Leaning her head against the cafeteria window, Jordynne watched as pedestrians strolled by. She blinked lazily, letting the sun hit her face. She had a quiet moment between patients and had snuck down for a cup of coffee — a moment alone. Her fingers absent-mindedly playing with the rim of the paper cup.

“Rookie,” 

She looked up and met Ethan’s blue eyes. He was holding two cups of coffee, the steam rising off of them. 

“Why are you drinking that garbage?” He asked her, eyeing the half-filled cup sitting in front of her. 

She let out a breathy laugh, “I seem to recall not having a fancy, private office with my own coffee machine.” 

Swinging his legs around, he sat in front of her — placing the cup in front of her. “One day, Rookie.” 

She smiled at him, before picking up the cup and taking a careful sip. She let out a happy sigh, before looking around them. They were the only people in the cafeteria at the moment— it was too early for lunch. “What are you doing down here?” 

His eyes betrayed him for a moment, flickering with worry. “I came to find you.” He said honestly. “To make sure you were okay.” 

She bit her lip, holding onto the cup for warmth, “I am.” 

“That’s your second patient now.” She watched his Adam’s apple lower as he swallowed, “Who’s died.” 

“Yeah, it is.” Her eyes shifted to the table. “And I also just referred a 7-year-old boy to Oncology with leukemia — who will probably die too.” 

Ethan let out a sigh, his eyebrows furrowed as he listened to her.

“And immediately after, I got to tell a woman who came in with abominable pain that she was 5 weeks pregnant.” She bit her lip, a sad smile spreading across her face, “I get it now, Ethan. Or I’m starting to.”

He nodded at her, his eyes filled with understanding. 

“Thank you for being there yesterday.” She said quietly. “You — you made me feel better.”

His mouth twitched into a smile, “Good.” 

The pair sat in silence for a moment, enjoying their coffee. 

“Why do you help me so much, Ethan?” The words left her mouth before she really realized. 

He blinked in surprise, letting the question sink in. He gave her a small smile, shaking his head. “I want you to do well.” 

“And the other interns?” She questioned.

Ethan didn’t miss a beat, “You’re not like the other interns.” 

Their eyes studied each other for a moment, both of them taking another sip of their coffee. “Are we friends?” 

Ethan squinted his eyes at her, “I don’t have many friends.” 

She hesitated, before questioning him again, “Am I one of them?” 

Breathing in deeply through his nose, Ethan nodded, “Yes.” 

Jordynne couldn’t help the smile that spread on her face. She felt butterflies in her stomach as Ethan’s face matched hers — his lips spreading to reveal a row of perfect, white teeth. She couldn’t help staring — he looked so exhausted but so handsome at the same time — she couldn’t deny it. His blue eyes were bright in the light streaming through the cafeteria window, his stubble looked a little darker than usual, his hair styled back perfectly. She wondered if it was soft — _it looked soft_. 

“Did you hear what I said?” 

“Huh?” Jordynne blinked as she snapped back to reality, finally realizing that Ethan’s mouth was moving.

His thick brows furrowed, “I said, did you talk to your brother?”

She flushed, realizing she had been caught daydreaming. Coughing she answered, “Oh yeah, I called him this morning. Jason understood. He said he has gone through something similar with his cases— when victims looked like me, or were around my age, in University. It helped.” 

“I’m glad.” 

The pair looked down at their empty coffee cups. She didn’t want the conversation to be over — but she knew Ramsey. As she finished thinking that, he pushed his chair back and stood up. “You have patients to attend to, Rookie.”

He left her sitting at the table alone, still holding her empty paper cup. Closing her eyes, she let out a loud sigh. _God, what had she gotten herself into? _


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Rating: T (Swearing)
> 
> Word Count: 5300+
> 
> Description: Jordynne helps Ethan confront Dolores’ family, and she finally finds out the truth about Patient X. 
> 
> Disclaimer: Characters, storyline, and parts of the dialogue are taken from Pixelberry’s Choices. They fully own the characters, dialogue, backgrounds, etc. MC Jordynne’s background is my own creation, based loosely off of MC in-game’s personality and provided with more details.
> 
> Author’s Note: I have been trying to write in more original pieces, but there were a few scenes from in-game that I just loved too much that I wanted to include as part of Jordynne’s story. Also, I skipped Chapter 9 because MC and Ramsey fighting about her thinking he was playing a joke on her with the patient was super out of character to me and I hated it soo I’m pretending like it never happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters, storyline, and parts of the dialogue are taken from Pixelberry’s Choices. They fully own the characters, dialogue, backgrounds, etc. MC Jordynne’s background is my own creation, based loosely off of MC in-game’s personality and provided with more details.

“As usual, Rookie, you’re only _half-right._ And in medicine, that counts for nothing.”Ethan took a sip of his coffee, using the cup to hide his face. _Lonely? _Is that what she thought of him? Could she see through him that easily?

The vibrating of his pager on his hip saved him, “Come on, then. My pager is buzzing. We should be getting back.” Ethan finished the rest of his drink in a swallow, tossing the cup into the garbage can. 

He watched as Jordynne tried to carefully balance her cup in one hand while trying to put her coat back on with the other. Letting out a chuckle, he watched her struggle for a moment before grabbing onto the loose sleeve she was having trouble with. 

Holding it out for her, she gave him a breathless, “Thank you,” before staring down at the ground for a moment after he helped her, her checks flushed. 

Nodding his head to the door, the pair left the small cafe, their strides falling in pace with each other. The walked in silence for a moment, shoulder to shoulder. 

“Are you dating that surgical intern?” Ethan blurted out, not really registering the words coming out of his mouth. 

A look of surprise crossed Jordynne’s face, and she turned to look at him. “What?” 

He clamped his mouth shut, waiting for her to answer. 

“Just trying to figure out the politics of this place?” She raised her eyebrow — repeating herself from when she dug into his relationship with Harper. 

He chewed his lip subtly, “Sure.” 

Shoving her hands in her pockets, she strode a bit ahead of him — but not before he saw her cheeks flush red again, “I’m not dating anyone, Ethan.” 

”I’ve just heard some nurses gossiping. That’s all.” He tried to keep his voice casual. 

Her blonde hair flicked wildly as she flashed him a look, “I never took you for a gossip, Dr. Ramsey.”

He stammered, “I’m — I’m not.” 

She stopped in front of him, making him stop in his tracks, “Then why do you care?” Her arms were crossed over her chest. 

_Why did he care?_ Ethan strained to keep his face blank, “I’m making conversation, Rookie,” He said with a shrug, before stepping around her and walking a bit faster. _This is the exact opposite of distancing yourself. Stop it. _He thought to himself.

He heard her let out a loud sigh, before stretching her legs to keep up with him. “Dolores’ sisters are visiting the NICU again today. Their finalizing everything with the social worker.” 

Ethan’s footsteps slowed — allowing Jordynne to catch up. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye — she was watching him, waiting for his reaction. 

“Are you ever gonna come meet with them? They’ve been asking for you for weeks now, Ethan.” Her eyebrows were high on her forehead. 

“I know.” 

She let out a quick breath through her nose, “Dolores named her child after you. His aunts deserve to meet his namesake.” 

“I know, Jordynne.” He said abruptly. Shoving his hands into his jacket pocket, he hid his balled-up fists. “They’ll look just like her.” 

She nodded, her green eyes shining, “Yeah, they do.” 

They were standing outside of the hospital now, several feet from the entrance doors. “You just need to do this, Ethan, please. For me.” Her green eyes were big, trying to catch his. 

He stood there silent, his mind racing and stomach twisting at the sight of her face. He watched her take the final swig from her paper cup, before she placed it in the trash can next to them. “Thanks for the coffee, Dr. Ramsey.” She gave him a sad smile, before heading through the sliding doors back into the hospital. 

Ethan stood there on the pavement for a moment — staring at the spot that she had been standing in. There were too many thoughts running through his head — facing Dolores’ family, figuring out what was wrong with Naveen, the competition. How angry he felt when he saw Jordynne and that damn scalpel jockey together. Her lips on that coffee cup — god, he wished he could be that cup. He cut his thoughts off, shaking his head. With another loud sigh, he ran his fingers through his thick hair before heading back into the hospital. 

* * *

The hallway was brightly lit and quiet — the trio spoke in hushed tones, just standing outside of the NICU window. Ethan’s hands were tied behind his back — his fingers intertwined together, keeping them steady. He was focusing on keeping his face normal — _be professional._

“We’re so glad Dolores, had you. Knowing she had a friend with her — it helps.” 

His Adam’s apple moved deeply as he gulped down the building sense of guilt. “I’m sorry. I wish I could have done more.” 

“Dolores would just be happy baby Ethan is okay. We’ve made peace with that.” The two sisters were the spitting image of her — just some wrinkles and a few grey hairs setting them apart. They had handled everything so gracefully — he had no idea how they were doing it.

“Dr. Holland has asked to be updated on baby Ethan — for us to send pictures and emails. Would you like that too?” The older of the sisters offered, her eyes soft. 

Ethan glanced behind him through the window, spotting the familiar blonde standing in the NICU chatting with an Attending. He hadn’t realized it but she had spent a lot of time there — even though the case was done, the file handed over to the social worker. She was still working closely with Dolores’ family. Jordynne cared _so _much — and she was starting to show him it wasn’t the worst thing. “I would. Thank you.” 

The sisters gave him a small smile, nodding their heads in agreement. They glanced through the window once more, before fidgeting with the purses on their shoulders. “Well, we should head over to the social worker’s office. Thank you, for speaking with us Dr. Ramsey.” They both took turns placing gentle hands on his elbow. 

“I’m sorry it took me so long.” He croaked out, his voice low. 

The pair looked at each other knowingly for a moment, before turning back to him. “We know, honey.” Joining hands, the two sisters walked down the long hallway together. Ethan watched them until they disappeared around the corner. 

Stepping back into the NICU, Ethan hesitated at the door. The other Attending had left — it was just Jordynne in there now. He felt his heart squeeze as he watched her. She was cradling the baby in her arm, his head pressed up onto her chest as she gently bounced him up and down. She hadn’t noticed him yet — her eyes still low as she stared at the top of the baby’s head, a small smile spread on her pink lips.

Jordynne finally looked up, realizing Ethan was there. “Hey,” She whispered, her smile remaining on her face. 

“Hi,” He kept his voice low, walking towards her. He stopped a couple of feet away, still trying to keep his distance from her. 

Her green eyes studied his face as she continued to cradle the infant, her eyebrows furrowed a little in concern, “You okay?”

He nodded at her, keeping his eyes trained on the baby. His lips curved into a smile when he saw how peaceful he looked nuzzled up to Jordynne. “You’re good with him.” 

“This little guy and I are best friends now.” One of her tan fingers grabbed onto his tiny hand, lifting it slightly. “I still can’t believe you don’t want one of these,” She pursed her pink lips, staring down at the tiny fingers. 

“I never said I didn’t want children.” He said quickly, before suddenly stumbling on his words, “Just that — that I didn’t think they would be in my future.” 

He watched her chew her lip softly, thinking before speaking again, “Things could change.” She said earnestly, offering the baby’s hand for him to take. 

Ethan offered the infant his pointer finger, which it eagerly took, wrapping its fist around it. “Two full-time doctors and a baby, do you really think that’s a good mix?” 

“Two doctors, hey? So the enigma Dr. Ethan Ramsey only dates doctors. Good to know.” 

Ethan scoffed, looking up to roll his eyes at Jordynne when he suddenly realized how close he was to her. His hand was less than an inch from her chest as he held onto the baby’s hand. His face so close he could smell her perfume again and notice the freckles dusting her nose and cheeks. A heat started to spread through his neck and up onto his face. “That’s not what I meant.” 

Jordynne’s sly smile only grew wider as she noticed his face redden. “I’m just teasing.” The smile faltered as she looked into his tired, green eyes, “Are you sure you’re okay, Ethan?” 

Gently taking his finger back, he took in the image of Jordynne cradling the small infant to her chest once more, his stomach tightening with want and guilt.“I’m fine.” The vibration of his pager saved him again, and he sighed in relief. “Don’t forget your other patients, Rookie.” He said coldly, before turning on his heel and heading out of the NICU quickly. 

* * *

The warm glow of the bedside lamp was shining in the room, casting a low glow on everything. Ethan sat in a chair, watching his friend laying in the bed. Naveen’s breath was short and shallow, his eyes fluttering as he fought sleep. Feeling a lump forming in his throat, Ethan put his elbows on his knees, bowing his head into his hands as he blinked away tears.

Sensing someone watching him, he looked up and his eyes met two familiar green ones. He saw the flick of blonde hair as the person started to run away. Anger flared in him at first, then waves of guilt of keeping it from her. He jumped to his feet, rushing past Naveen’s bed and out the door. “Rookie! Stop!” 

Jordynne froze in place, her shoulders pushing up into her neck. Spinning on her heel, she gulped as she faced him, “Dr. Ramsey… I’m sorry… I didn’t mean…,” She stood on her tip-toes, glancing over his shoulder, at Naveen’s window. “But… didn’t Dr. Banerji resign? What is he _doing_ here?” 

Ethan felt his face fall, realizing what this meant, “Jordynne, you _cannot_ tell anyone what you’ve seen here. Do you understand?” Naveen would never forgive him if the hospital found out because of this. 

She nodded profusely, her eyes wide. “I understand.” 

“Thank you…,” He let out a sigh of relief. Ethan scratched his stubble roughly — it was getting long, he _really _needed to go home tonight. 

“Dr. Ramsey… what’s going on?” Her eyes were filled with worry, watching his movements intently.

Sucking in a ragged breath, he finally answered her. “He’s dying. Dr. Banerji is dying.” There — he had admitted it out loud. It was out in the universe now. 

Her eyes darted back to the window, “What… what does he have?” A worry line formed in the middle of her brow. 

Shaking his head, Ethan stared down at the ground as he admitted his defeat, “I’ve been trying to figure that out for the last month.

Pursing her pink lips, she tried to catch his eyes, “Dr. Ramsey… I’m so sorry. I know how close you two are. This must be incredibly difficult.” 

Ethan’s tired green eyes finally met her blue ones. He nodded to her in a silent thanks. 

“There must be a reason you’re hiding him here…” 

“I…” His pager beeped, interrupting him. A grimace flickered across his face — the one time he didn’t need a save from his pager. Quickly reading the message, he mumbled an apology, “I’m sorry, I have to go. Please, say nothing of this.” 

“Dr. Ramsey!” She raised her hand to him like she was going to grab onto him but thought better of it. “You can’t just tell me one of the greatest doctors this country’s ever seen is _dying_ and then… walk away!” 

Ethan felt torn, unsure of what to do. He needed to tell her — it felt so good knowing that someone else knew too. He needed to explain this to her but he couldn’t do it here. There was too much to risk. Rubbing his chin again, he let out a sigh. “Come by my house after work tonight. I’ll explain everything, I promise.” 

Jordynne nodded, her eyes studying his, “I’ll be there.” 

He let out a sigh of relief at her acceptance. “I mean it, Jordynne. Not a word of this to anyone.” Instinctually, he grabbed onto her forearm — his face serious. “Not even Harper Emery. Promise me.” 

She swallowed, her eyebrows furrowing. “I promise. You can count on me, Ethan.” 

He let go of her arm gently, their touch lingering on his fingertips. “Thank you.” His pager angrily beeped at him again, and he gave her a nod goodbye. Turning on his heel, he passed by Naveen’s window on his way out. His steps faltering as he caught sight of his friend — he looked so small in that bed. The man was everything, so big, so untouchable before — but now. Ethan swallowed the emotion building in his throat, attempting to refocus as he left his friend all alone once more. 

* * *

Wringing his tan hands together excitedly, Bryce had to force himself to slow his pace. He had killed it in his last surgery. Dr. Nguyen had said he was seriously impressed with him and he couldn’t help but continue on his high.

Turning down the hall on floor five, his brown eyes searched for the familiar blonde hair and white coat. He found her, standing in front of the vending machine — her eyes glazed over as she absent-mindedly chewed on her fingernail. He was memorized watching her pink lips — especially after he had experienced what they could do the other night.

“Jordy,” He sidled up next to her, bumping her with his hip gently. 

“Huh? Oh, hi.” Jordynne said, her voice quiet. Her eyes didn’t leave the vending machine. 

“So, I was thinking,” He grabbed onto her hips playfully, turning her to face him, “We could go somewhere other than Donahue’s tonight?” 

A sad smile flickered across her face, “I have plans tonight actually.”

“Oh! What did Sienna plan for the roomies tonight?” He questioned, flashing her a smile. 

“Nothing with them,” She glanced over his shoulder, biting her lip. “Look, I gotta run.” She grabbed onto his bicep easily, giving it a quick squeeze. “Tomorrow, Lahela. Okay?” 

She had taken off before he could answer, stopping at the nurses’ station quickly before heading into a patient’s room. 

Bryce’s dark brow furrowed in confusion, watching as she disappeared from him. _Who would she meeting if it wasn’t her roommates or him? _

* * *

Holding down the buzzer on the intercom, Ethan’s eyes darted to his reflection in the mirror hanging in his entryway. He looked exhausted — purple bags under his eyes, his stubble dark and rough, the grey sweater he wore wrinkled. Nervously fussing around with his hair, he waited for her knock at the door.

The sound of her knuckles on the other side of his door caused his stomach to tighten nervously. Turning the knob, he took in the sight of Jordynne. She stood in his doorway — blonde hair still in her usual ponytail, but she had changed into a cream cardigan and jeans. Her fingers were curled around her messenger bag nervously, her green eyes taking him in. 

Rubbing his eyes wearily, Ethan motions for her to come inside. Jenner was dancing around their ankles excitedly — already trying to sniff her. “Rookie. Come on in.” 

He watched her bend down to greet his dog, smiling down at the pet. Her eyes darted around staring his apartment, and her pink mouth opened a little. “Wow. Nice digs.” 

Shrugging, Ethan closed the front door quietly before glancing around his apartment. “I’m barely ever here. Wine?” He padded into the kitchen, grabbing onto the already opened bottle sitting on the quartz counter. He had already had a lot of it — on account of his guilt from Naveen and nervousness at Jordynne coming into his apartment. His hand hesitated over the empty glass he had set out for her — waiting for her answer. 

“Yes, please.” She said she was eyeing his books now, still bent over petting the dog, who was now following her every move. 

He poured her a glass, matching his already _very_ full one. 

“That’s probably enough…,” He heard her say softly. 

“Huh?” Realizing, he stopped pouring the wine. “Oh, sorry.” He grabbed onto the glasses, and held it out for her, finally seeing the worry in her eyes. 

Their fingers brushed as she grabbed the glass, her eyes not leaving his. He raised his glass in front of him, letting out a sigh, “To the unknown.” 

She humored him, clinking her glass to his, “To the unknown.” Her voice was quiet. 

Ethan took a long sip as he sat down on his leather couch, feeling defeated. He eyed his furniture — wondering where she would go. The spot next to him, the armchair. He licked his lips as she sat next to him, their legs brushing as she adjusted. Jenner immediately sat in between their legs, his tongue panting as he begged for her attention again.

She ignored the dog for the moment, turning to face Ethan, “Dr. Ramsey… what’s going on? What’s Dr. Banerji’s diagnosis?”

He stared down into his wine glass, his eyebrows furrowed and lines formed in his forehead, “I don’t know.” 

Her mouth hung open, “But you’re the best diagnostician in the country!” 

A short, mocking laugh escaped him. “The _second_ best.”

Giving up, he watched as Jordynne put down her glass long enough to scoop up Jenner and place him on her lap. She pet him absent-mindedly, balancing her wine in the other hand, “When did his symptoms start?” 

He breathed in through his nose, recalling the memory, “About two months ago. Started out small enough. Cough, fever, confusion. I noticed he was having trouble with his memory. When I confronted him, he said he was just getting old. But there was something in his eyes when he said it. I _knew_ he knew something was wrong.” 

Her eyes hadn’t left his face, “What did you do?” 

“Whenever I told him to take time off and rest, he laughed and told me to focus on the real patients.” He chewed on the inside of his lip. “It progressed to severe headaches and high fever. He couldn’t keep fluids down.”

“Meningitis? Pneumonia?” Jordynne offered. 

Ethan shook his head, grimacing, “I hoped it was just that. But then it got worse. Breathing trouble, organ dysfunction.”

“He’s in sepsis.” 

Ethan nodded, keeping his eyes away from her — staring out into his apartment. It was filled with things he never even had the chance to use. He stared at the record player in the corner — if it hadn’t been for his cleaner, dust would be settling on it. It had been months since he had used it.

“I told him I was going to tell Dr. Emery. He chased me down and begged me to keep it to myself. I’ve never seen him beg before. The idea of anyone knowing he was sick… almost seemed to break him.” 

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, “But… why would he feel that way?” 

He took another sip of his wine, “I’ve spent so many nights wondering that myself. Sometimes I think he just can’t stand the idea of being pitied. Other times I wonder if he assumes that anything _he_ can’t diagnose is really hopeless.”

“Ethan…” His name on her lips caused him to grip the wine glass a little tighter. 

He continued speaking, “Either way, he won’t tell me.”

“So… he wasn’t seeking treatment? He wasn’t even treating himself?” Her eyes were so big as she listened to him. She was taking in every word, she cared so much. _Why? Why did she care so much? _

“No, I struck a deal with him. I told him I’d keep his secret if he let me work his case. He said it was a waste of time, but he relented. I began running tests on him nuder a false name.” 

“Patient X.” She answered for him, “Nobody got suspicious?” 

A chuckle escaped Ethan. “You mean, besides you?” He took another long sip of his wine, before giving her a small, humorless smile. “People tend not to ask questions when I want something.” 

Jordynne licked her pink lips, “But you didn’t tell Chief Emery…,”

He shook his head, “Perhaps the old her would’ve taken my side. But today, she’s the administration. Her duty is to the board of directors now. But it must be done. When there isn’t a path, you make your own.” 

She placed her thumb in her finger, chewing on it as she thought, “Alright, but what did the tests show?”

Rage flickered in him, “_Nothing_. I’ve run every test I can think of and _nothing _is conclusive. And now his kidneys are failing.”

Her hand lingered on her lip, squeezing the soft, pink skin, “Is that why he resigned?” 

“Yes. It was impossible to keep pretending everything was fine. He thought it was the end… he almost booked a flight to lay on a beach and die in the sun.” Ethan looked up at the ceiling, swallowing down the emotion forming in his throat. “It took everything I had to convince him to let me admit him in secret and get him on dialysis.”

Getting up, he strode over to the kitchen counter again, filling up his wine glass. He offered the bottle to Jordynne, who held out her wine glass for a top up in silent agreement. He emptied the bottle into her glass, before settling in front of one of the windows. He leaned up against it, looking out into the dark skyline, “I just don’t understand it. I’ve spent my entire career saving lives and solving problems. It’s always been… easy. And it never… it never really meant anything. It was like a game I’d mastered. A — a competition against death I was winning handily. And now…,” His voice broke, water forming in his eyes, “I lost Dolores, and I’m going to lose Naveen. The two people on Earth I gave a damn about are the two people I couldn’t save.” 

“Don’t talk in the past tense, Ethan.” Her finger played with the rim of her wine glass, her face turning sad, “Dr. Banerji means a lot to you, huh?” 

He stayed quiet for a moment, keeping his eyes on the night-time view outside as he took another large gulp. “He’s my mentor.” 

“I think it’s more than that.” She said seriously, twisting so she could look at him better. Her chin resting on the backrest of the sofa. 

His green eyes met her blue ones, he couldn’t lie to her. “I’m not close with my parents. I became a doctor without their help or approval. Honestly, I never thought I’d need or want _anyone’s_ approval. When I arrived at Edenbrook, I knew I wanted to learn from the best. And Dr. Banerji was… _is…,” _He corrected himself, “The best. I expected him to be hard on me. But I didn’t expect him to be so… so _kind_. He recognized my talent and took me under his wing. But he became more than a teacher. He became…,”

“Family?” She offered, her eyes understanding. 

Ethan nodded, his fingers playing with the stem of his wine glass and he blinked fast. “Naveen never married. He doesn’t have any children. I’m all he’s got.” He placed his glass onto the coffee table, crossing over in front of the sofa, staring into Jordynne’s eyes. “I can’t let him die, Jordynne. And I can’t break his trust. If _anyone_ finds out the truth, he’ll fly out to that beach, and I’ll lose any chance I have to save him.” He slumped back down into the sofa, his knee bumping hers. “I don’t know what to do. I’m only one doctor.”

Hunching forward Ethan pushed his head into his hands, covering his face. He started taking big breaths, trying to calm himself down — to stop the water welling in his eyes. His breath faltered for a moment as he felt her warm hand reach out and grabbed onto his knee and massaging his leg. He didn’t move away from the gesture. 

“I’m here.” She said quietly, ducking her head so she could look up into his eyes. 

He gulped, his eyes flicking to her hand that was still on his leg. “I know.” 

“You’ll solve this.” Her voice was serious, her mouth in a hard line. 

He chewed the inside of his cheek, “You sound so certain.” 

Jordynne nodded at him, “I am. If there’s anyone in this world who can, it’s you.” 

Picking his glass back up, Ethan swirled around the last of the red liquid. “I just hope it’s not too late.” 

“We’ll figure this out.” 

“We?” He questioned, looking over to her. Jenner was still cuddled up onto her lap, his eyes closed happily as she pet his head. Her cheeks were flushed from the wine, and it had stained her lips a little. She looked so comfortable — sitting on this sofa with him. 

“Ethan, you’re not alone in this anymore. Let me help you.” She reached out and grabbed him again, her fingers gently grabbing onto his wrist as he went for another sip of wine.

He brought the glass away from his lips, nodding at her. “Okay.”

She pushed some of the hair that had fallen out of her ponytail back behind her ear, biting her lip. “Did you eat? ‘Cause I’m starving and all this wine is going straight to my head.”

“Right,” He got off of the couch quickly, startling Jenner. Taking their now empty glasses, Ethan placed them on the counter and opened up the fridge. He heard the pads of her feet behind him and the familiar jingle of his dog’s collar following her. He looked at the empty fridge, sighing, “I, uh, haven’t been home in a few days. I could order something in…”

Jordynne scoffed at him, “Dr. Ramsey, you need to be more resourceful.” She ducked under his arm holding the fridge open, looking into it. Her back was so close to him, her hair tickled his nose. “All my years as a starving medical student has trained me for this.” 

Stepping back, Ethan left her intoxicating scent behind and he gave her room to work. He watched with a smile as she started grabbing jars and a block of cheese out of the fridge — juggling the supplies in her arms. Her hands automatically went to his cabinets and drawers, seemingly finding exactly what she wanted every time she opened one up — almost like she had been here before. A warmth spread through his chest as he watched how comfortable she was in his home, even after spending less than one hour there. 

She placed a charcuterie plate in front of them — it was pretty bare, but it had some cheese, pickles, olives, and crackers. Her face twisted into a playful smile, “Better than nothing?”

“Better than anything I would have found in there.” He grabbed onto the plate and placed it onto his bar, sliding out the two stools in front of it for them. He steadied the stool for Jordynne as she sat down, and she looked over her shoulder to smile at him, in a silent thanks. Sitting down at his own stool, he realized how close they were to each other again — their elbows brushing each other. _Why were they always so close? _It was like she was a magnet. 

The pair picked at the charcuterie plate in silence for a moment — the only sound was the occasional whimper of Jenner begging underneath them. Ethan’s eyebrows started furrowing as he got lost in his thoughts again, thinking about Naveen laying in that hospital bed all alone tonight. But when he looked up to Jordynne, it softened a little, the line in his forehead going away. “Why did you become a doctor, Jordynne?” 

Her eyebrows lifted a little at the question as she finished chewing her cracker, “Hmm, my mom.” 

“She wanted her daughter to be a doctor? Not a lawyer, or accountant?” His mouth went dry, but not from the crackers or wine. He had gone against his parent's wishes when he became a doctor, maybe she just followed in line with what was expected with her.

“No, nothing like that. She was diagnosed with breast cancer when I was eleven. Her doctor was amazing — she was intelligent and passionate. I just couldn’t think of anything else I would want to be after that.” There was a small smile on her face as she told the story. It made Ethan’s stomach flutter. “And I’ve always loved science. Medicine just… it felt right. It’s what I meant to do.” 

He watched her, studying her again. She was so determined but gentle. Kind but fierce. Both a lion and a lamb. He wasn’t sure how long they sat there for — picking at their food, asking each other questions about their lives — both in and out of the hospital. She skirted around questions about Naveen, giving him some space that Ethan wholly appreciated. He didn’t bring up Lahela again — even though he was dying too. He also wanted to know why she was here with him, why she cared. But he was too afraid of the answer. 

Around midnight, he watched as she gathered her things and started placing dishes in the sink for him. “I should probably get going, I didn’t realize how late it was.” 

Getting up from his stool, Ethan shoved his hands in his pockets, suddenly feeling awkward. Maybe it was because he didn’t want her to leave. “Thank you for letting me explain.” 

“Of course,” She nodded at him. Her fingers were knotted in her messenger bag nervously as she stood near the door.

“I would take you home, but with the wine…,” He motioned back to the empty bottles sitting on his counter. “Can I get you a cab at least?” 

“Oh, it’s fine. The subway will be good.”

He looked out at the dark night sky, and his stomach twisted. He could walk with her — _would that be crossing a line?_ “Can you text me then? When you get home? So I know you’re safe.” 

Her pink mouth opened in surprise a little, but agreed, “Oh, yeah sure.” She gave Jenner one last scratch behind the ears, and got up and left. “Goodnight, Dr. Ramsey.” 

“Night, Rookie.” He noticed the flicker in her eyes as he called her that — a flash of hurt. But then she was gone down the hallway. Waiting for her to disappear from his line of sight, he closed the door softly and padded back to the couch — slumping into it. 

Jenner lingered at the door, staring up at it as if he was waiting for her to come back any moment. “Jenner, come here.” He patted the spot next to him, but the dog didn’t budge. “Boy, she’s not coming back.” The dog’s ears drooped a little and he waddled over to the sofa. He sat on the spot Jordynne had used earlier, sniffing it before curling up in a ball on the seat — his eyes sad. 

Ethan let out a sigh, noticing his dog’s reaction, “Ugh, not you too.” He reached out and scratched behind his ears. Suddenly, without her presence, his apartment felt emptier than ever. 


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Rating: M (Swearing, Kissing, Smut, NSFW!) 
> 
> Word Count: 3900+
> 
> Description: Jordynne tries to find a distraction from a certain attending, and seeks in the form of her “more than friends” surgical intern. Ethan finally admits his feelings to himself. 
> 
> Disclaimer: Characters, storyline, and parts of the dialogue are taken from Pixelberry’s Choices. They fully own the characters, dialogue, backgrounds, etc. MC Jordynne’s background is my own creation, based loosely off of MC in-game’s personality and provided with more details.
> 
> Author’s Note: Okay, so spicy scene with Bryce so NSFW! Really starting to try and flesh out Jordynne’s feelings for these two men. Also, giving more details of how I think Ethan processes his feelings for MC/Jordynne and how he deals with them!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters, storyline, and parts of the dialogue are taken from Pixelberry’s Choices. They fully own the characters, dialogue, backgrounds, etc. MC Jordynne’s background is my own creation, based loosely off of MC in-game’s personality and provided with more details.

They both couldn’t sleep that night. 

Jordynne laid in bed, tossing and turning over and over — her blonde hair ratting at the nape of her neck. She flipped open the little black notebook on her nightstand again, flicking on her lamp and jotting down another note. 

Ethan was sitting upright on his bed, his pillow up against his back as he read through the manilla folder one more time. Jenner was laying on his ankles, a soft snore coming out of his snout. 

They both had Naveen’s case on their minds. They had run through so many different tests on their lunch breaks the past few days — squeaking in as much time with him in between “official” patients. Naveen hadn’t been too happy when Ethan brought Jordynne into the room the first day — but after he had explained how desperate he was for some help, his friend understood. They had gone through so much information, Jordynne had started writing notes in a notebook she kept in her messenger bag. 

Stretching over to his nightstand, Ethan grabbed onto his phone. The movement caused his dog to stir. He scratched at his bare chest, fighting his own thoughts. Temptation and curiosity got the best of him, and he found himself searching Jordynne’s name into Pictogram. 

He chewed his lip as he started scrolling through her photos — pictures of her new apartment, going out to Donahue’s, graduation day, baseball games. He paused at the photos of her, searching the tiny squares for her face. Alone in his bedroom, he could admit to himself how striking she was. The camera didn’t do her justice — the green of her eyes wasn’t as vibrant on the screen. Sighing, he clicked to see the photos she had been tagged in, and he felt his stomach flop. 

The very first one was her and Lahela — his arms wrapped around her waist easily, both of their mouths open as they laughed. The next was a photo of her laying in a bed, her hands covering her face but her smile was still peaking through. More with her intern friends, another with Lahela right next to her side. _Maybe she had lied to him — maybe they really were dating? _In a few of the older photos she was posed next to a man he hadn’t seen before — _maybe the ex from Oregon?_ He swallowed, realizing this was just making him feel worse. 

Sinking back into his bed, Ethan grabbed onto his duvet and covered himself up. Tossing the phone away onto his mattress, stopping himself. A loud sigh escaped him, as rolled onto his side — trying to find any way to go to sleep. 

She wasn’t _his._ Jordynne could take photos with anyone she wanted, be with anyone she wanted. He was just her boss, her attending. And she was his intern._ End of story. _

But he knew that wasn’t true. She wasn’t just his intern, the resident, the rookie. She was his confidant now. Jordynne knew his biggest secret, and not only had she kept said secret, she was helping him. He had told her they were friends — and they were. He had few of them in the world — one had died, one was dying, one was his boss and now, Jordynne was all he had. __

* * *

The noise of the busy street was drowned out by the music pumping through Jordynne’s headphones. Her feet hit the concrete lightly as she jogged down the street, her heart pounding in her chest as she dodged pedestrians and cyclists. Her blonde ponytail swung behind her, sweat trickling down her forehead and into her eyes.

She had needed a distraction — the notebook sitting in her bag at home was digging a hole in her mind. 

It had kept her up for most of the night. And then when she finally fell asleep, she was plagued with dreams. Even through her sweat, she felt her face flush hot as she recalled her dream. A certain attending had been in it, and she had woken up with her tan legs tangled in her sheets with want. 

Jordynne just needed a day to escape it, to distract herself from whatever it was that was developing inside her. She couldn’t like him, not Ethan. It was a cliche. _Her boss_? Her first hospital after eight years of medical school and she got the hots for her Attending? 

Shaking her head at herself, she trudged ahead struggling to keep up her breath. Running had always been an outlet for her — Jason would take her with him when he was training for the academy, and she ran track in high school. But it had been a while since she felt like she needed a distraction like this. 

She had just been following her feet — not really paying attention to where she was going. As she rounded a corner, her eyebrows furrowed as she realized she was starting to recognize the neighborhood. Looking up, she realized she was nearing Ramsey’s apartment building. 

“Shit,” She muttered to herself, embarrassed as she realized she had subconsciously headed towards the man’s apartment. Gulping, she looked around her trying to find a building to duck into. The last thing she needed was to run into Dr. Ramsey covered in sweat and flustered after having a restless night thinking about him. 

Running into the little cafe, she spent too much money on a bottle of water before hiding in the restroom. Locking the door behind her, she slumped against the door. 

She needed to keep her distance — she couldn’t have him. How she was going to keep her distance from the man that she was suddenly spending all of her spare time with on a secret case no one else in the hospital knew about? _No idea. _

Running wasn’t working. It wasn’t distracting her from Ethan at all. She needed a better distraction. 

Licking her lips, she pulled out her phone, scrolling through her messages until she found him. Posing in front of the mirror, she pulled down the top of her shorts — revealing her black thong and midriff. Sweat glistened on her chest, highlighting her breasts that were pushed together in her small sports bra. Taking the photo and clicking send, she waited for a moment until she got a quick text back. 

> _How fast until you can get here? _ _sent 8:54am_

Smiling wickedly, her thumbs quickly typed back a reply before she left the cafe and started jogging back in the opposite direction.

By the time she got outside of the apartment building, she was completely out of breath. Her ponytail was falling out, and her blonde hair was swinging wildly. A devilish smile spread across her lips though, as she noticed the familiar surgical intern sitting on the front steps. He jumped at the sight of her, biting his lip with his perfect teeth.

Bryce greeted her with a hungry kiss, his hands immediately grabbing onto her bare midriff and pulling her into him despite being out on the sidewalk. “Hey,” He growled into her ear. “What are you trying to do me?” 

“Get in your pants,” She whispered back, grabbing onto the drawstrings of his pants. 

He let out a groan as he grabbed onto her fingers, and dragged her into the apartment building. The pair ran up the stairs, their fingers intertwined as they ran up to his apartment. The door slammed behind them, and they were instantly all over each other. Jordynne jumped on Bryce, wrapping her legs around his strong core easily. Their lips crashed together in need, their tongues swirling in their mouths and teeth grazing each other’s skin. 

He carried her into the kitchen, placing her gently onto the sleek countertop. Breaking the kiss, Bryce moved down onto her neck and collarbone while his hands explored the elastic band of her sports bra. “I’m— I’m assuming,” She said through ragged breaths, “That no one is home?” 

He dug his fingernails into her ass, rubbing himself in between her thighs. She could feel how hard he was already. “Just you and me,” He muttered into her skin between kisses.

Her tan fingers trailed down his chest, feeling his hard abs for a moment before cupping him through his track pants. “Good,” She pushed her fingers through his waistband and grabbed onto him causing Bryce to let out a grunt. Jordynne could feel herself pulsing in anticipation, her stomach tightening with want. It wasn’t Ethan — that wasn’t what the dream was about. It was just pleasure, the intimacy she craved — not _him_._ Right? _

Bryce repositioned her on the kitchen counter, grabbing her hips and turning her around to bend her over on the cold counter. He tugged her shorts and thong down together, revealing herself to him. She could hear the rustling of plastic. His fingers found purchase on her hips, and she closed her eyes as she felt the heat of Bryce enter her from behind, his hardness pressing against her easily.

“Fuck,” He muttered and Jordynne let out a soft moan, her hips rolling into his as they fell into pace with each other. Pushing herself into him, she allowed him to move deeper into her. Dropping his head into the crook of her neck, Bryce kissed the back of her neck and increased his pace — pumping into her. 

She squirmed underneath him, her stomach pressed against the cold counter and her mouth open in bliss.

“God, you’re so hot,” He said with ragged breath, his hand slipping around her waist and pass her naval to her sensitive nub. 

She cried out, squeezing herself around him as a familiar sensation started building through her body. Her knees starting to shake as it became too much.

“Jordynne,” Bryce chanted her name, before thrusting into her one last time — his fingers digging deep into her flesh and his forehead touching her back.

The pair stayed like that for a moment — catching their breath. Finally, he stepped back before helping Jordynne with her shorts. He pressed a kiss to her lips. “That was unexpected,” He said to her, pushing back her wild hair from her eyes.

“Yeah, I just…” She hesitated, swallowing, “Was in the neighborhood.”

He furrowed his brows at her, before kissing her again, “Well, you can come over to do that _whenever_ you want.”

The pair chuckled, before Bryce shuffled his feet, “I actually gotta get ready though,” He started heading to the bathroom, starting to strip his clothes. “I picked up a shift, Collins is still sick.” 

Jordynne followed him, awkwardly playing with her hair. She heard the sound of the water turning on, as Bryce stepped into the shower. He had left the door open for her, and she quickly stripped before stepping in with him. A megawatt smile spread across his face as she entered, and he hugged her to his chest bringing her into the water with him.

The water fell over them, washing away their sweat and relaxing them again — catching their breaths and heart rates returning to normal. The pair shared a few more kisses, sharing stories as they caught each other up on their previous night. Bryce stepped out first, wrapping a towel around his wet body leaving Jordynne in the shower alone for a moment. 

She turned the heat of the water up, the temperature turning her tan skin red. Closing her eyes, she gulped and let out a loud sigh. It had helped — for a moment. Bryce had proven to be a good enough distraction to stop her whirling thoughts for some time, but now she was having to convince herself now not to think about it, to think about _him. _

And now her only distraction was going to leave her alone with her thoughts again. 

* * *

The line in between Ethan’s brows was deeper than usual as he stared intently at IV hook, ignoring Naveen’s question. 

“Ethan, I know you heard me.” 

His blue eyes flashed to him, giving his friend a look before he went back to playing with the bag. 

Naveen let out a sigh, before asking again, “Why her, Ethan? Why did you tell her specifically?” 

Breathing out of his nose, Ethan finally turned around to speak to Naveen, “First of all, Dr. Holland followed me her. She found out first, I didn’t tell her.”

He shrugged, his hospital gown scrunching up at his shoulders, “Curiosity. That’s good in a doctor.” Readjusting the sheets on his bed, he spoke again, “So she found out. But you told her _everything_, Ethan. Why?” 

  
Ethan licked his lips, shaking his head at the incessant questions, “Because she is a good doctor. She’s number one in the competition. She’s intelligent, and could help.” 

  
His dark brows furrowed, “If you wanted a good doctor, you would have asked Harper.” 

  
Ethan crossed his arms over his chest, “I can’t ask Harper, it would be too complicated. You know that.” 

Naveen’s dark eyes met Ethan’s light ones, searching them, “So then answer my question, Ethan. Why her?” 

  
Mind reeling, he hesitated for a moment — wondering how much he should reveal. “I trust her.” 

  
“Because…?” 

  
“Because she’s all I’ve got now, Naveen.” Ethan let out a heavy sigh, sitting down onto the edge of the bed

  
“That’s not true. I’m not dead yet.” He let out a chuckle, that turned into a cough. Ethan grimaced at the comment. 

  
“So, she’s intelligent. Trustworthy. Pretty, too, hey?” Naveen wiggled his eyebrows at Ethan.

  
“Naveen,” He hissed, flashing him another look. 

  
“I may be old, but I’m not blind. I’ve seen the way you look at her, and the way she looks at you.”

  
Ethan’s mouth went a little dry. _She looks at him? The way he looks at her_? He had been guilty of stealing glancing at her the last few days, but he never noticed her doing it back, “What are you talking about?”

  
“I can tell she looks up to you. But there’s something more.” He intertwined his fingers together and placed them on his stomach, “Is there something more?” 

  
“She’s an intern.”

  
“So?” 

Ethan shook his head, “It’s unethical. And impossible.” 

  
Naveen let out a playful scoff, “I didn’t think anything was impossible for the great Dr. Ramsey.”

  
“This is.” 

  
Sitting up straighter, Naveen reached over and grabbed the other man’s wrist, “Don’t be like me, Ethan. Don’t be alone.” His brown eyes wavered, “I sit here in this bed, day after day — thinking about what I’ve missed. Don’t make the same mistake as me.” 

  
Ethan opened his mouth to speak but closed it — flabbergasted. 

  
“Stop being so afraid.” 

  
He was afraid. Nobody had infected his mind like this before. Jordynne was plaguing his thoughts, his dreams. He looked for her in the hospital hallways, hoped to see her at Donahue’s. She had come into his life so fast, and he liked it. He liked her — more than he had planned. He selected her to come to Edenbrook — to be his intern, his mentee, someone to push and mold into an amazing doctor. Instead, she had reversed everything — she was changing him, he realized that now. He was learning from her — how to carry grief, express himself, ask for help, maybe even how to lov—. 

  
Ethan cut himself off. He couldn’t admit that — not even to himself. But he would admit one thing — Jordynne Holland terrified him. 

* * *

Jumping up from her bed, Jordynne grabbed her ringing phone off of her dresser and looked down at the screen. Her stomach tightened as she looked at the name. 

Sliding her finger across the screen, she brought it up to her ear nervously. “Dr. Ramsey?” She questioned.   


“Jordynne, hi.” He didn’t sound too serious, not like anything was wrong.   


“Hi,” She sounded breathless. Her fingers began to twirl her blonde ponytail, waiting for him to speak.   


“I, uh—“ He coughed as he stumbled over his words, “I was actually calling to see if you wanted to meet tonight. Review the “case” some more.”   


“Oh, yeah. Of course.”   


“Maybe, we could do it over dinner? I haven’t eaten.”   


Jordynne swallowed, hesitating for a second._ He was asking her out for dinner? Like a date? No. He wouldn’t._ “Sure, I could eat.”   


She swore she heard him let out a sigh of relief. “Okay. I can come to pick you up.” 

“That’s probably not the best idea. My roommates may get suspicious.” 

“Right.” 

“I’ll meet you,” She offered instead, “Where are we going?” 

“Alessandro’s? Just after nine?” 

“I’ll be there.” She ended the call, falling back onto her bed in a daze. Slowly, Ethan was slipping into more than just her work life — the boundaries of work/life balancing fading. 

She could’ve just said no to him. She _should’ve _just said no to him. But she couldn’t. Jordynne knew it was a bad idea — all of this was just for the case, to help Naveen. It would just be torture for her — spending all this time with him, when she knew there was no way he would feel the same. But she couldn’t resist. 

* * *

The restaurant Alessandro’s was a quaint family-owned restaurant, tucked in the corner of a strip of shops. It was usually quiet there — a hidden treasure deep in downtown Boston not a lot of people went to. That’s why Ethan had picked it — they were less likely to be interrupted there or noticed.

He was already sitting at the table, tapping his foot nervously as he waited for Jordynne to show up. She wasn’t late — he had arrived early, unable to sit in his office and wait around any more. 

She had seemed so casual on the phone — easily agreeing to meet him there. He had been so nervous — he was just asking to review the case with her, update her after her day off. Maybe brainstorm over their food. That was it. But Naveen had gotten to him — he was complicating everything. Everything was fine when she was just some intern. But she wasn’t that anymore. She hadn’t been for a long time, he knew that. She was his rookie, she was _Jordynne. _

His mindset off alarms throughout his body when he noticed her walk through the front door, awkwardly checking with the hostess. She was wearing a jean jacket, a short blue dress that flowed around her thighs, a knot tied in the middle of it accentuating her waist, her usual messenger bag on her shoulder. Her wild blonde hair was let down in loose waves. Ethan suddenly felt self-conscious, playing with the rolled-up sleeves of his button-up shirt he had been wearing all day. 

The hostess brought Jordynne over to the table, and Ethan got up to greet her so fast he hit the table slightly — causing the silver wear to shuffle and clink. He flushed red with embarrassment. 

She pretended not to notice, grabbing onto the back of her chair. “Hi, Dr. Ramsey,” She said quietly, moving her chair out to sit in it. 

Ethan frowned slightly — he had wanted to do that for her. Gulping, he sat down, “Rookie,” He greeted her, “You look — different.” He said carefully.

She let out a laugh, smoothing down her dress, “I thought I told you that you needed to work on your compliments.” She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, looking down at the table, “But thank you.” 

The waiter appeared, offering to take their order. Jordynne ordered water at first, but after Ethan ordered a glass of wine, she changed her mind and ordered the same. The pair clinked their glasses together, before sipping the dry white wine, staying silent for a moment. Ethan swallowed it happily, feeling some of the tension in his shoulders release. 

“How was your day off?” Ethan watched her hesitate, licking her lips as she thought of her answer. 

“Not as distracting as I wanted it to be.” When he furrowed his eyebrows at her, she continued, “I just couldn’t get a lot of things out my head.” 

“Like?”

Her pink mouth twitched, “Naveen. The hospital. Just taking work home with me.”

Ethan studied her face — she was avoiding meeting his eyes, instead staring intently down at the menu. She was lying about something — or not telling him the full truth at least.

“How was Naveen today?” She asked, changing the subject. 

He let out an involuntary sigh, remembering their conversation. He couldn’t tell her that. “I’ve started monitoring for fluid overload — with the dialysis and IV, I’m noticing swelling.” 

“In his limbs? Abdomen?” 

The waiter returned at that moment to place down their food, “Not the strangest conversation I’ve overheard as a waiter,” He teased, flashing the pair a look before leaving them to the quiet corner of the restaurant. 

“In his legs,” Ethan explained, tucking into his pasta dish. “I’m going to run blood work tomorrow, check his sodium levels.” 

Jordynne nodded in agreement, grabbing a forkful of her own dinner. Ethan took a hearty swig of his wine as she let out a moan. “God, this is good.” She said, grabbing another bite. 

Wiping her mouth with her napkin, she finally spoke again, “We should test his potassium levels too. Just in case of Hyperkalemia? I know he’s in a bed 24/7 right now, but he has complained to me about fatigue, feeling weak.” She stopped for a moment, pulling out a black notebook out of her bag and she started jotting down notes. 

Ethan’s blue eyes watched her, a small smile spreading across his face. She was _good_ — he hadn’t thought of that. He realized how full the notebook already was — even though it had only been a few days since he had told her everything. “What else is in there?” He asked, nodding towards the notebook.

The pair sat like that — Jordynne reading out from her notebook in between bites, Ethan listening carefully as he chewed his food and sipped his wine. He would question her, asking for her reasoning on symptoms, or attempted diagnoses. She would defend it until she was blue in the face, reciting textbooks worth of information she had memorized in medical school. 

Ethan lost track of time as they spoke, their pasta dishes long cleared away, their wine glasses replaced with coffee, and dessert bowls now empty. Even though they were discussing Naveen, trying to solve his case — he hadn’t felt this _relaxed _in a long time. He realized he was at ease around her. As he stared at her chatting away, her long fingers trailing over her notes as she read them to him, Ethan’s stomach tightened with a familiar feeling of want. He wanted this desperately. It felt so normal, so easy sitting there with her. Like any other couple, chatting after a long day, enjoying a meal out. 

Why couldn’t he have met her at some conference? Or at a lecture? Or out of state? At a different hospital? Literally anywhere else. Why did she have to apply to Edenbrook? He could have met her anywhere — but the universe was cruel, and twisted his fate. 

Jordynne looked up from her notebook, noticing his silence. Her green eyes wrinkled with worry as she studied him, “Ethan, you okay?” She asked gently, reaching out to grab his hand on the table. 

He gulped at the action, her fingers slightly cold on his hot skin. Electricity going through him at her touch as per usual. “Yeah… I’m okay.” He lied, his stomach twisting. 


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Rating: M (Swearing, Kissing, I don’t know Ethan wants to do her but is stupid, Angst) (I’m terrible at this.)
> 
> Word Count: 6800+
> 
> Description: Ethan invites Jordynne to join him at the National Medical Symposium in Miami for two days. Two days — him and Jordynne; no hospital, no secret cases, no patients… 
> 
> Disclaimer: Characters, storyline, and parts of the dialogue are taken from Pixelberry’s Choices. They fully own the characters, dialogue, backgrounds, etc. MC Jordynne’s background is my own creation, based loosely off of MC in-game’s personality and provided with more details.
> 
> Author’s Note: I finally made it. MIAMI. The kissing scene. OK, so I love PB but I hate when they just cut to a black screen after some scenes. Like Ethan stalks out of the room after a mega hot make-out session and they just cut to MC being back in the hospital the next day? Nah nah nah. So I have also written in some scenes to build up to the kiss more and then what happens post-kiss Ethan ripping out MC’s/my heart (: (: (: (: (:

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters, storyline, and parts of the dialogue are taken from Pixelberry’s Choices. They fully own the characters, dialogue, backgrounds, etc. MC Jordynne’s background is my own creation, based loosely off of MC in-game’s personality and provided with more details.

The past few weeks had flown by — filled with late-night research sessions, multiple trips to get Jordynne espresso romano’s from the nearby cafe, shared sandwiches during lunch hours in Naveen’s room. He had never gone through as many bags of coffee beans in his office than he had in those past weeks. Ethan hadn’t even slept on the couch in his office, he was going home to Jenner almost every night. Things were different, things were _good _for once. 

They didn’t spend all their time together — it’s not like every waking moment was spent with her. But that was about to change for the next 48 hours. 

Ethan was sitting next to her in first class on their flight headed to the National Medical Symposium in Miami for two days. _Two days — _him and Jordynne; no hospital, no secret cases, no patients… 

“Compliments of the crew, Dr. and Mrs. Ramsey.” A polite flight attendant spoke, placing down two cups of steaming hot coffee with a smile

Jordynne stirred in her leather seat next to him, looking over to her, “Oh thank you, but I’m not his—“

At the same time, Ethan spoke, “She’s a doctor too, actually.” 

“Oh! My apologies, Doctor.” She smiled at Jordynne, “Well if you need anything else let us know.” The flight attendant moved down the aisle, leaving the pair alone again. 

“You know she called me your wife right?” Jordynne asked, grabbing onto the cup that he was holding out for her. 

“I, uh—“ Ethan stammered, feeling the tops of his ears go red, “She did?” 

She gave him a coy smile before taking a sip of the coffee. It wasn’t the best coffee they had ever had — but better than the hospital cafeteria. The pair exchanged a look of mild acceptance as they took their sips.

Jordynne returned to her iPad — finishing an article Ethan had recommended to her. The seats in first class were wide enough for her to cross her legs, her elbow on her knee as she hunched forward reading. Her leg was warm up against his, her long hair brushing up against his arm giving him goosebumps.

He could just watch her reading. The way she chewed her lip as she thought, the way the light from the window made her blonde hair almost look white. He needed a distraction — _already, _he was only a couple hours into this trip with her. Finding his leather bag on the floor next to him, he dug through it, finding his glasses and his novel _The Lives of a Cell. _Thumbing through the pages, he tried to find where he last left off and blinked as his eyes adjusted to his glasses. He noticed Jordynne shift beside him, looking up at him. 

A sheepish smile spread across her face as he caught her staring. He furrowed his thick brows, “Yes, Rookie?” 

“Nothing,” She said, shaking her head, the smile remaining. 

His blue eyes squinted at her, putting his book down. He didn’t believe her.

“I just like your glasses,” She shrugged, her cheeks turning pink. 

Ethan hit her with his knee, rolling his eyes. “Read your article, Jordynne.” Bringing his book back up to his face, he used it to hide the small smile spreading across his face. 

* * *

Letting the water run over him, Ethan turned it up a little hotter once more. It was turning his skin red now, from the heat and his incessant scrubbing. He was mad at himself. This was getting complicated now — _too complicated. _

Declan had figured out his plan too quickly, and now he needed to figure out another approach. And the hotel had booked their room wrong. How he was going to handle sharing a room with Jordynne, he had no idea. 

Snapping his eyes open, he heard Jordynne call out to him from the bedroom through the crack he had left in the door so they could still talk. 

“Why didn’t you tell me there was a reception?!”

He turned off the water, standing there dripping in the shower for a moment. “Because it was the furthest possible thing from my mind at the time.” He said truthfully. He had been focused on how to play Declan to get the treatment, and _not _thinking about her. 

He heard her let out an exasperated sigh, “But it’s a casino theme! I have to look nice!” 

Ethan stepped out of the shower, grabbing onto the white fluffy towel hanging off of the wall and wrapped it around his lower torso. Water still glistening off of him, he stepped towards the mirror — rummaging through his toiletry bag. 

Movement caught his eye in the mirror, and he looked up to catch Jordynne’s eyes — staring at him through the reflection and crack in the door. Her eyes raked his naked body before her face reddened and she turned back around to dig through her suitcase. 

Ethan gulped, stepping back out of the line of sight. “Just throw on whatever you brought with you.” Grabbing onto the towel he angrily dried himself off, turning his skin red again. Not until he had stepped back into his briefs and trousers, did he go back towards the mirror where she could see. 

She still had her back turned to him, but she was changing now. She was stepping into a dress — shimmying it past her hips. He stared at her naked back — admiring the curve of her waist, how soft her tan skin looked, her blonde hair draped over her shoulder out of the way. 

Feeling his stomach tightening in want, he averted his eyes looking down at the marble countertops in the bathroom. Fumbling with the products nervously, Ethan put on some lotion and cologne before tousling his wet hair with a towel. Feeling much more presentable in his trousers now, he stepped back into the room still toying with his hair when he stopped in his tracks. 

“Oh,” He sputtered, his blue eyes trailing over Jordynne’s body. She was wearing a silky navy dress, that hugged her curves perfectly. It had a deep V that showed just enough cleavage to make his imagination start running wild, and a simple pendant rested on her collarbone. Her usual wild wavy hair was sleek straight, hanging over one shoulder like a curtain. “You, uh, you found something.” 

She put a hand on her hip, popping it out and smirked, “I _always _come prepared.”

“Lucky for me.” Realizing what he said, he cleared his throat, embarrassed. “I mean, lucky for _you. _You look… very…appropriate.” He tried to fight the blush creeping on his cheeks. 

Letting out a laugh, she turned back to her suitcase, “_Appropriate? _What did I say about compliments, Ethan?” 

He rolled his eyes at her, before padding over to the wardrobe. “Give me a moment to get dressed.” They stood on opposite sides of the room for a moment, both of them finishing getting ready. Ethan was grateful to have some distance between them — even if it was just a bed. 

Grabbing onto his suit jacket, he turned around to face her. “There.” 

Jordynne’s pink lips spread into a smile as she took him in. They stood for a moment, in front of the large mirror on the wall, standing shoulder to shoulder. Ethan’s breath hitched for a moment — taking in the image of them side by side, dressed to the nines. _They looked like a real couple. In another lifetime, in another universe maybe they could be. _

He cleared his throat, “I would say we look ready, wouldn’t you?” 

“Absolutely.” She grinned, moving her hand to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear. 

A glimmer caught his eye, and he felt his stomach twist. “What the hell is that, Rookie?” He pointed at the sparkly ring sitting on her left hand. 

“Oh!” She let out a laugh, “My ward. It helps keep unwanted attention away at these kinds of things.” 

Ethan furrowed his thick brows, “You’re not looking for any attention here? That’s the reason half of these people are here.” 

Jordynne shrugged, a blush creeping onto her cheeks. “I have my eyes on someone else anyways.” Grabbing onto the keycard on the entry table, she tucked it into Ethan’s breast pocket and gave it a pat before turning on her heel and heading into the hall. 

He watched her leave for a moment, his mind wheeling at who she was keeping an eye on. Gulping, he followed her out into the hall and shut the door.

* * *

Ethan could still feel where the slimy bastard Declan had grabbed onto his shoulder, rubbing in his victory. _Vitamin C, hydrocortisone, and thiamine_. He repeated it to himself over and over — drilling into his mind. 

He was standing alone near the edge of the pool, nursing a glass of scotch. The lights in the pool causing the water to turn bright blue. He stared down into it, watching the ripples. 

It was risky what he did. _Too risky. _Everything was on the line, and he put it all down to how he had read Declan. He had been wrong before, and he wasn’t as observant as he used to be, not as confident either. 

He straightened up at the sound of steps approaching him. A waiter came towards him, a polite smile on his face. “Sir, here is the wine that you wanted to try.” He had two glasses in his hand, and he held one out for Ethan to try.

“Oh, thank you,” He grabbed onto the glass, swirling around the red wine before taking a sip. He nodded appreciatively, giving the waiter a nod. “I like it. Good recommendation.” 

“Thank you, sir. Should I send up a bottle to your room for you and your wife?” 

It was an innocent question, but Ethan felt his stomach twist again. It kept coming up — it was the logical deduction. But it was like a punch to the gut each time. Just another reminder. Ethan found Jordynne — standing on the opposite side of the pool, in a conversation with a couple of guys. His eyebrows furrowed at the sight — her ward wasn’t working as well as she wanted it too. 

“Sure, thank you,” Ethan said politely, taking the other glass from the waiter. Maneuvering through the crowd and the edge of the pool, he found his way over to her. 

Her eyes lit up as he approached, and she let out a sigh of relief. “Dr. Ramsey, hi!”

“This is for you,” He handed her the wine, which she took gratefully. “Boys,” He nodded sternly at the two guys standing in front of Jordynne. 

“Oh, uh Dr. Ramsey! Nice to meet you.” They stammered, looking confused as Ethan wrapped his arm protectively around Jordynne’s shoulders. 

“If you’ll excuse us,” He grimaced, pulling her away with him.

“Thank you,” She mouthed to him, before taking a big swig of wine. “I thought they would never leave me alone.” 

When they reached a quiet corner alone, he realized he still had his arm wrapped around her and he quickly let go. “Like I said, conference from hell.” He looked around them — more and more of the doctors were starting to get tipsy now — shouting and dancing everywhere. “Want to go somewhere else?” 

“Yes, please.” She said through another sip of her wine. The pair walked shoulder to shoulder through the party, leaving through a pool gate and out onto a pathway leading to the beach. The walked in silence, before heading off of the stoned path and into the sand. 

As their shoes started sinking in the sand, the two let out a laugh. “Maybe not the best idea.” Ethan bent down, balancing his wine glass as he scooped up his shoes. 

He let out a chuckle as Jordynne struggled with her shoes, not able to fully bend down in her dress. “This dress isn’t as practical as my scrubs.” She joked.   


Putting down his shoes, he bent over and moved the long fabric of her dress aside, revealing her tan legs. His fingers grabbed onto her ankle gently as he unbuckled the skinny straps of her heels. He tried to hide his gulp as his fingers brushed her soft skin. Standing up, he grabbed their shoes and tucked them away safely before returning to where Jordynne was waiting for him. 

“Thank you,” She said quietly, chewing her lip. 

  
The pair walked in silence for a moment, enjoying the feeling of the soft sand on their feet and the sound of the waves. The sounds of the party was a little more distant now. They paused in front of the water, both of them looking out pensively as the tops of their feet got slightly wet. 

Taking a step back, Ethan shrugged off his jacket and placed it on the sand for them to sit on. It wasn’t a very big space, and Jordynne ended up closer than shoulder to shoulder. He took a shaky sip of his wine, as she rested her head on his strong shoulder. _This was fine. It was just a long day. Two colleagues, resting. On a beach. With wine. _

“Ethan, can I ask you something?” Her voice was soft. She didn’t stir from his shoulder, still resting her head on it — staring out at the water. 

“Mhmm,” He agreed, having another sip of his wine. 

“Why are you letting me help with Naveen?”

His dark eyebrows furrowed, “What do you mean?”

  
“I know, I poked my nose into it and stumbled onto it. But that doesn’t mean you _wanted _me to help. But bringing me to this conference, and with Dolores… I don’t know. There are lots of smart interns.” 

  
“I’ve already told you that you aren’t like the other interns.” He didn’t miss a beat. 

  
“But why? Why do you say that?” She twisted around to face him, “I just… I find it incredibly hard to imagine what you think about me.” 

  
“You want to know what I think of you?” He raised his eyebrow, unsure of how he could answer that question. “You — you are,” He looked at her wide green eyes, gazing at him, waiting. “Very intelligent. And trustworthy. Stubborn as hell.” She let out a laugh at that. “You’re very… patient.” 

  
She scrunched her nose up at him, “Really? You think I’m patient?”

  
Ethan couldn’t help the warm chuckle that escaped him, “You stick it out with a grumpy old man like me every day. You’d have to be.”

  
“Hey, you’re not old.” She punched his arm lightly. “Grumpy? Yes.” Taking another sip of her wine, she continued, “I just wonder how I got here, you know? When I thought about my residency… I could have never imagined this.”

  
“Getting paid to sit on a beach?” He smirked. 

  
“That. And…,” Her eyes glanced down, betraying her for a moment. She looked up at Ethan, chewing her lip nervously, “I just couldn’t have planned any of this happening.” 

  
Ethan’s blue eyes raked her face, trying to read it. He couldn’t get a read on what she was feeling, why she was asking these questions. Before he could say anything else, she went to take another sip of her wine and realized it was empty. 

  
“There’s more in the room.” He offered, gesturing to her empty glass. “They sent up a bottle for us. Anything for Dr. and Mrs. Ramsey apparently.” He said, shaking his head. 

  
A sly smile spread across Jordynne’s face, “It’s Doctor, actually.” 

* * *

The pair sat on the hotel room’s balcony, chairs pulled side by side. The aforementioned bottle of wine sat in between them — half empty by now. Jordynne was still in her dress, but her shoes remained off from their stop at the beach. Her hair was starting to wave from the wind and humidity. Ethan’s jacket was hanging inside, dirty with sand. His bowtie was hanging loose around his neck. 

  
They could hear the crash of waves from the ocean, the moonlight reflecting off of the water’s surface. They were sitting in comfortable silence, admiring the view when Ethan finally spoke up again. 

  
“Naveen always hoped we’d find a way to make the diagnostics team publicly funded… So that no one would need to pay, no matter their insurance or income.”

  
Jordynne played with her hair nervously, “What will he think of getting Panacea Labs involved?” 

  
He let out a humorless laugh, “He’ll give me the worst chewing out of my life. And I’ll deserve it. I’ve compromised his vision, my ethics…,” Ethan shook his head, “But if he survives this… it’ll all have been worth it.” 

  
Her big green eyes met his, “Do you really believe that?”

  
“I don’t know. Ten years ago, I was right where you are. A wide-eyed intern, dreaming of what I’d do when I was an attending. I certainly wasn’t dreaming this. But things change. People change.” Ethan stared out to the ocean, watching the waves roll into the sand. “What about you? What kind of doctor do you see yourself being in ten years?”

  
She chewed on her nail for a moment, “The kind of doctor who could make a difference in patient care.”

  
He let out a laugh, “More than you do now?”

  
She shrugged her bare shoulders at him, her voice quiet, “I’m only an intern… I do barely anything now.” 

  
He shook his head in disagreement, “Not true. I’ve seen how hard you work for your patients. Even if they don’t always value it, you do make a difference.” 

“But not enough. I helped one uninsured patient receive care, but I can’t find loopholes for everyone.” He watched her chew the inside of her lip, thinking, “The entire system needs to be changed. And I want to be part of it.” 

  
“And I have no doubt you’ll find a way.” He didn’t miss a beat. 

  
She let out a sigh, “It just seems like… the higher I aspire, the more I stand to lose.” 

  
“I — certainly understand that.” Standing up, Ethan moved to the railing, leaning his elbows on it. He clutched his wine glass in both hands, moving his eyes back to the water. “What you saw tonight, that’s not _me_. I don’t gamble… on anything. I don’t take chances.” Breathing in deep, he continued, “Medicine is an assembly of facts leading to a conclusion. Once you know the rules and understand the diseases you’re working with, the risk should be minimal. Your decisions are informed, and you choose the safest path. But that card game… I’ve never done _anything _like that before.”

  
Jordynne got out of her seat, joining him at the railing. She leaned her hip against, facing his side. “I don’t know. It seemed like a pretty well-informed decision to me.” 

“Risking Naveen’s treatment on a game? Having to hope I’d judged Declan’s character well enough to risk losing instead of using a winning hand?” He shook his head, his eyebrows furrowing. “There were too many variables. I could have lost everything!” 

She grabbed onto his wrist, comforting him, “But you were right. Your risk paid off.” 

  
His blue eyes lingered on her fingers wrapped around his wrist, “It did… and I’m beginning to realize,” He hesitated for a moment, thinking about the chocolate bars she had gifted him, still in the wrappers buried in his desk. _You know, it’s okay to treat yourself sometimes_. He turned his neck to look up at her. She was radiant in the moonlight — her blonde hair glowing, her skin a little flushed from the wine, her dress cutting into a perfect V. “There are some things that are worth any risk.” 

  
They locked eyes for a moment — their pupils flickered back and forth, studying each other’s faces for a moment. Jordynne reached out tentatively, her soft fingers touching his stubbled cheek. 

  
He blinked at her touch, not really believing it was happening, “Jordynne, I…” 

  
She licked her pink lips shiny, “I know.” 

  
Ethan leaned into her touch, his eyes fluttering closed for a moment. It felt good. _No_, _it felt amazing. _Just a simple touch, her cool fingers on his hot cheek. It would be so easy, just to reach out and do the same. He felt his heart starting to climb his throat. The pounding was filling his ears, and his face felt hot. _For once, don’t be afraid. Just do it. _

His blue eyes snapped open, and he looped a strong arm around her waist, pulling her into him. Without thinking anymore, Ethan crashed his lips onto hers. He heard her take a sharp breath as he kissed her. She tasted like the wine, and spearmint and honey somehow. Her pink lips were softer than he had imagined. 

  
Ethan didn’t have to wait very long for her to kiss him back. Her lips met his immediately, her hands finding purchase on the lapels of his jacket as she somehow pulled him even closer to her. _This was happening. It wasn’t in his head. _It was intoxicating — the smell of her perfume, her fingers bunched on his clothes, the feeling of her tongue sliding across his teeth. 

  
She broke away for a moment, a ragged breath escaping her, “Dr. Ramsey, you’re —“

  
“Ethan.” He corrected her, putting his forehead on hers — He couldn’t _not _be touching her now, not after that.

“Ethan…,” She said breathlessly, “I’ve been wanting this. For a lot longer than I should admit.” 

His eyes lit up in the darkness outside, not believing what he had heard. He moved his head back for a moment — meeting her gaze. “So have I.” 

Grabbing onto the tip of her chin, Ethan pulled her back in for another kiss — this time tenderly, gently pulling her lips into his. She parted her lips for him, deepening the kiss. His hands traveled down her waist onto her hips, as her fingers twirled in through his thick hair and down the nape of his neck. 

Goosebumps traveled down his skin as her fingers skimmed down the skin of his neck, moving down his chest to the buttons of his shirt. She undid them perfect precision, not breaking their kiss as she worked through them. 

“Mmm…” She moaned into his mouth as she moved her hand down his bare chest. He felt his heart stutter as she touched him. Ethan matched her movements, his fingertips brushing over her collarbone, over her breasts and down her ribs and waist. 

Ethan broke their kiss for a moment, as his hands lingered on the zipper of her dress — his thoughts getting the better of him for a moment. “What if someone sees us?” 

“I don’t care.” She breathed, before pinning him against the railing. “Let them see.” She moved his mouth on his again, and he eagerly wrapped her back into his arms, holding her tightly — not wanting to let her go.

He finished unzipping her dress, feeling her naked back that he had been looking at in the mirror just a few hours before. He relished the way her skin felt on his — she was so soft and warm. 

Grabbing onto the fabric of her dress, he slid it up over her hips — grabbing onto her mostly bare backside. He let out the softest moan, looking down at her long legs and the small black panties she was wearing. “Jordynne…” 

  
The kisses turned desperate as they looked down at their naked skin — her bare legs and his bare chest. He wanted this for so long, to know what she would feel like, taste like. 

  
Pulling away, he took a shaky breath — attempting to catch it. He stared down into her big green eyes, his hands still holding her into him. 

His mouth hung open in awe and desire — _nothing should be this beautiful_. But his eyebrows furrowed as his fingers dug into her more — he wanted her, he _needed _her — but his thoughts were starting to get the best of him. “What are you _doing _to me?” He growled, swallowing. 

“Hopefully something good.” She moved her bare leg in between his, brushing her thigh up against his crotch, making him gulp again. 

“Jordynne, I’ve never done anything like this. _Ever_. This is—“ He stopped talking as she placed a tan hand on his chest again. She traced it over his muscles before stoping over top of his heart. He wondered if she could feel its hammering beat. As if sensing his thoughts, her other hand grabbed onto his fingers — pulling it up to grab her own chest. She placed it underneath her dress, his fingers resting on the plump flesh of her breast. He could feel her heart thundering just like his. Her mouth spread into a smile as he realized how she felt too. 

He swallowed, looking up into her eyes again, “You… feel amazing.” 

  
“Wait ‘till you feel the rest of me,” She smirked, moving his hand so that he was cupping her entire breast. 

“Christ,” He groaned, cupping her in his hand. He moved his lips to her neck, kissing the tender skin softly and enlisting a moan from Jordynne. It only made him want to do it more. He continued kissing and sucking at her skin, moving down to her collarbone and the top of her chest. 

  
As his teeth grazed her skin, he felt her shiver. His fingers trailed up her arms, and he noticed the goosebumps that had appeared. He hadn’t realized in their passion that the winds of the ocean had picked up. 

“Let’s get you inside.” Ethan rubbed her shoulders for warmth, guiding her but Jordynne took his hand and intertwined his fingers with hers instead drawing him back into the hotel room. 

  
The warm lights in the room caused Ethan‘s eyes to adjust, and he found himself blinking back to reality. Jordynne had pulled away from him, swaying her hips until she sat down on the edge of the bed. Her dress was still pushed up a little — revealing her long tan legs. The shoulder straps were coming down now too — her cleavage threatening to pop out of the thin fabric. She looked up at him from the bed, her green eyes inviting him over to her. 

  
He froze — staring at her. She was mesmerizing. She was everything and more than what he has imagined in his dark bedroom in his lonely apartment. 

  
He couldn’t do this.

It wasn’t his risk to take. It was hers. It would be career suicide for her — if someone found out. 

  
“Ethan?” Her soft voice snapped him back. She was still sitting on the bed, her green eyes batting up at him. 

  
“We… can’t.” He forced the words out of his mouth, “We can’t go further. We’ve already crossed a line.” 

  
She sat up a little straighter on the bed, her eyebrows furrowing, “Did… Did I do something wrong?” 

  
He closed his eyes — hating himself. “Of course not, not in the slightest. You…,” His eyes raked over her confused face, “No, I did. I shouldn’t have let this happen. And it can’t happen again.” 

Her pink lips frowned, “What? Why not?” She was covering herself with her arms now, hiding her cleavage with one arm while the other pulled her dress back down. 

He started rattling off the reasons he had come up within his head already, “I’m an attending, and you’re an intern. You’re in the running to join my team. I’d be your boss—“

“So?” 

He thought to the surprised look on Harper’s face, that gradually turned suspicious when he announced he was bringing Jordynne with him on this trip. She would know, and she was the Chief of Medicine. What would happen — fire the rookie intern who slept with her boss or the world-renowned diagnostician? He _knew_ the answer. He _knew_ Harper. 

He ran his fingers through his thick hair, “It’s unethical. And it’s complicated.” 

“Ethan…,” She moved off of the bed, starting to move towards him, “No one would have to know.” 

“We would know, Jordynne. We would know,” He gulped, “I need to be able to push you to your limits. To help you become the doctor you want to be. The one I _know_ you can be. I can’t do that if I…”

“If you what?” She had closed the distance between them again, her hand reaching out and trying to grab his wrist, but he moved as she reached out. 

Ethan shook his head, angry at himself. “I’m sorry. I should have stopped myself before… We should call it a night. You can take the bed, I’ll sleep on the couch.”

“Ethan…” Her voice killed him — he could hear the hurt in her voice. “Please don’t do this.” 

“I can’t.” He didn’t even turn to look at her before he walked into the other room. Closing the door softly behind him, he pressed his forehead to it. His eyes closed, his face wrinkling in pain. _Why did he do that_? _Why did he have to make it so much harder for himself? _

_And her_. He envisioned the look on her face — how confused and hurt she look, her green eyes wide and pink mouth open as she tried to understand. 

  
His body filled with rage and hatred at himself. Whirling around, he looked around the unfamiliar hotel living room. Grabbing onto a couch cushion, he nailed it with his fist. 

His stomach twisted, waiting to see if she would try to follow him. But he couldn’t hear anything — just his heart hammering in his ears. 

Glancing around the room, he let out a sigh of relief at the bar cart parked near the couch. Grabbing a tumbler, he poured himself a large scotch and downed it. _Anything to drown out his thoughts — just to stop thinking_. 

* * *

She wasn’t there when he woke up. 

The bed was made perfectly — like no one had slept in it. Her suitcase was tucked neatly at the door, waiting for them to check out. 

Ethan could smell her in the bathroom — hints of her showering and getting ready still lingering in the room. Orange blossom shampoo, vanilla perfume. It made him miserable. 

Letting out a heavy sigh, he showered and got ready before heading downstairs to find coffee. It was the day of lectures and presentations — the worst part of the conference for him. The last thing he wanted to do was to feign interest in other people’s research. 

Heading down to the restaurant serving continental breakfast, he poured himself a cup of coffee and took a hearty swig. It was awful. Grimacing, he swallowed the bitter coffee.

Turning around, his heart leaped in his throat as his eyes landed on Jordynne for the first time that morning. 

She looked incredible. She was wearing a professional-looking white dress, that hugged her hips and waist. Her blonde hair pulled into a sleek ponytail, simple jewelry on her neck. He noticed she still had her “ward ring” on — it was shining brightly off of her left hand. 

A polite smile was forced on her face, as she stood in her heels listening to an older gentleman. She was hugging her cup of coffee to her chest. Ethan knee she probably hated the beverage as much as he did. 

“Dr. Ramsey! Well, I’ll be!” The old man croaked, putting out his hand.   


“Dr. Lynn,” He shook the doctor’s hand. “Dr. Holland,” he tried his best to keep his face neutral, nodding to her as a greeting.   


Her smile faltered before she put the mask back on and returned the nod. 

“So, tell me how is Dr. Banerji? Someone told me he retired.” 

Ethan froze — his jaw clenched. He hadn’t planned on that — people asking him about Naveen. Nodding his head, he moved his mug in front of his face to hide the lie, “Retired and loving it.” 

“I won’t be far behind.” The old man chuckled, before turning his attention back to Jordynne. “But, I was just telling young Dr. Holland here that Edenbrook better hold onto her. I don’t meet many interns like her at conventions like this!” 

“I agree, Dr. Lynn.” Ethan swallowed, “She’s an incredible doctor.” 

Jordynne’s green eyes flickered to Ethan’s, her lips pursing together. 

“Well, if you ever want a change of scenery you should come see us in New York.” Dr. Lynn handed her his card, before shaking her hand. 

  
“Thank you,” she said politely, tucking the card into the notebook under her arm. 

  
The man said goodbye to the pair of them, leaving them alone near the coffee station. 

  
Despite having already downed a cup of coffee, Ethan’s mouth suddenly felt dry. Jordynne was avoiding his eyes now, standing awkwardly. 

“I’m—“ he opened his mouth, but she spoke faster. 

“I’m going to go find a seat, in the conference hall.” She put down her coffee cup, clutching her notebook to her chest. “See you in there.” 

He watched her walk away, strutting easily in her heels, her hips swaying a bit. His dark brows furrowed as he watched one of the doctors hitting on her from the previous nightfall into pace with her. 

Grinding his molars together, he stood there for a moment, before falling in behind them. He had made it clear — to her and himself. _It couldn’t happen again_. But he’s head was still swirling, his stomach tightening with the familiar feeling of want. 

  
He was her silent shadow for the day — letting her take the lead in the majority of conversations when doctors or big pharma executives approached. She was great during the presentations — taking detailed notes, asking insightful questions. She was a natural — much better at all of this than he was. 

  
She even dug into Naveen’s case a little — asking vague questions to other Doctors, seeing how they would investigate. She was also presented with several other business cards — other hospitals who were interested in speaking with her if she ever wanted a ‘change of scenery'. 

  
Ethan knew it was the correct thing to do, to stop it where he had — _right_? He couldn’t take back kissing her, but at least he didn’t let it go any farther. It _was _the right thing to do, but it wasn’t easy. Every time he looked at her now his mind didn’t wander — wondering how soft her skin was, or what her lips would feel like. He knew now. _God, did he know_. And it was killing him. There wasn’t enough scotch in the world to make him forget what it had felt like — holding her to him, his lips on hers, her fingers twined in his hair. 

_Stop. It. _

  
He thought to himself, curling his fingers into a fist so tight half-moons printed on his skin from his nails. 

  
This is how it had to be. To protect her, and her career. Ethan has perfected misery before — he was certain he could learn to live with it again. 

* * *

Jordynne approached the flight attendant standing at the desk for their gate. Her voice was low for a moment, so he couldn’t hear her at first. Ethan strained his ear, trying to make out what she was saying. 

“It doesn’t have to be a first-class seat. Any seat really, if I could just —“ 

“I’m really sorry ma’am. But the flight is sold out, and I can’t change seats anymore.” 

A flash of hurt crossed Ethan’s face. _Now she didn’t even want to sit next to him? _

Standing up, he met her at the desk and grabbed onto her elbow. Politely smiling at the attendant, he pulled Jordynne away with him, standing near the windows that looked out into the tarmac. 

She wouldn’t meet his eye.

“Do not make me sit on this plane by myself, Rookie.” Realizing he was still holding onto her elbow, he quickly let go. “Please.” He added, his voice barely a whisper. 

She drew her pink lip into her mouth, chewing it, “Okay.” She said quietly. 

  
And she did. Her legs were pulled to her chest this time, leaving no chance of them accidentally touching. She had her neck strained, staring out the oval window at the fluffy white clouds. 

He got what she wanted — at least she was sitting next to him. They hadn’t said anything, sitting in silence for the majority of the flight. Ines and Zaid were on the same flight with them this time — sitting a few rows ahead of them, nursing drinks. 

Ethan wished it could go back to before. When there was just stolen glances to each other, the little sparks when they would brush hands that electrified his day. He hoped that they could work past it — for her sake, and Naveen’s. He needed to keep mentoring her — this conference proved how good she could be. And he would be helpless without her on Naveen’s case. 

He just needed to go back to how he was before — before the shared scotches and wine bottles, before falling asleep on the same couch in the NICU, before stealing her away for “experiments”. No more dinners, or espresso romanos. That’s just what he had to do. 

Maybe she would just find someone else. Then it wouldn’t matter. His misery, he could contend with. But hers? It was killing him — her silence, the seemingly permanent furrow in her brow, how she avoided his eye. If she found someone else then maybe their work relationship could stand a chance. He thought to the surgical intern, Lahela. Whatever that was between them, it could grow. Ethan swallowed down the bile that formed in his mouth as he thought of them together — dating, falling in love… 

What if she moved? What if she left Edenbrook? She had received enough interest at the conference from several senior Attendings. He felt his heart start to rise in his throat, at the thought of her leaving. _Could he do that — drive her away so much that she would move to another hospital_? 

  
“Would you move to New York?” He blurted out, unable to stop his panicked thoughts. 

  
She turned her head to him, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, “What?” 

  
“Would you take Dr. Lynn’s offer? Leave Edenbrook?” He gulped, “Or anywhere else.” 

  
Her lips twitched, “Boston is my home now. If Edenbrook wants me, that’s where I’ll be.” 

He tried to hide his sigh of relief, his shoulders relaxing for a moment. But he tensed up again as she spoke again. 

“It’s gonna take a lot more than you rejecting me for me to want to move to a different state, Dr. Ramsey.” Her voice was a harsh whisper.

He swallowed, his stomach twisting with guilt, “I didn’t reject you. I — we — we just couldn’t.”

“But the thing is — we were and we can. But you get so wrapped up in that head of yours…” Her voice trailed off, and she starting picking at her nails. 

Ethan didn’t know what to say — his mouth opening and closing as he thought. 

Jordynne shoulders slumped at his silence, and she returned to looking out the window. But this time she put in headphones. She wouldn’t look at him, listen to him, or touch him — tucked into the corner of the large leather seat, staying as far away from him as she could. 

The rest of the flight was brutally quiet. Ethan sat looking forward — straining his neck so straight so he wouldn’t dare glimpse at her. They didn’t make a sound to each other as they got off the plane, or grabbed their bags. They exchanged pleasantries with Ines and Zaid at the exit to the airport, before they walked out into the Boston streets. 

It was a gloomy day — the dark clouds overhead threatening to rain at any moment. Ethan fumbled in his bags for his car keys, his suitcase at his side. When he heard the sounds of rolling wheels, he turned to see Jordynne stalking off towards the subway — dragging her suitcase behind. 

“Rookie!” Ethan called after her, grabbing the handle of his suitcase and following after her. When he caught up to her, she flashed him a look but kept marching forward. “At least let me drive you home.” 

“I have a shift, I’m going to the hospital.” 

“Okay. Then let me drive you to the hospital.” He offered. 

“No thanks, Dr. Ramsey.” The words were pleasant enough, but her tone wasn’t. She reached the tops of the steps leading down to the subway. Picking up her suitcase awkwardly in her arms, she started down the stairs without a backwards glance. 

Ethan stood at the top of the stairs, watching her blonde ponytail swung with her movement until she disappeared at the bottom around the corner. Reaching up to his face, he grabbed the bridge of his nose and pinched it. “Fuck,” He growled to himself, before angrily grabbing his suitcase and stalking off in the opposite direction. 


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Rating: T (Swearing, Jealousy, Kissing, Nudity)
> 
> Word Count: 2500+ 
> 
> Description: Bryce tries to calm his anxiety while Jordynne is in Miami and what they are. Jordynne does her best to avoid Ethan and Miami altogether - but some days are easier than others. 
> 
> Disclaimer: Characters, storyline, and parts of the dialogue are taken from Pixelberry’s Choices. They fully own the characters, dialogue, backgrounds, etc. MC Jordynne’s background is my own creation, based loosely off of MC in-game’s personality and provided with more details.
> 
> Author’s Note: Man oh man, I don’t know why but I just got stuck with this chapter. I wanted more Bryce, but I wanted more detail for what happens post-Miami with Ethan too. This is a shorter update, but I have plans for the next one! Thank you thank you to emilymay100.tumblr.com for helping me with my writer’s block and giving me a prompt! <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters, storyline, and parts of the dialogue are taken from Pixelberry’s Choices. They fully own the characters, dialogue, backgrounds, etc. MC Jordynne’s background is my own creation, based loosely off of MC in-game’s personality and provided with more details.

He stared anxiously at his phone — scrolling through his previous texts.

> Jordy: Hey, landed in Miami! _sent at 12:42pm_
> 
> Bryce: Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do [😉](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Femojipedia.org%2Fwinking-face%2F&t=NDg3MGVkMTdmOGY2YWI2NmMyYWRhOWMwYTBlNmY3MDNmMzg4NTAzNixQUHpSQ0hXMQ%3D%3D&b=t%3A2jra1GYSLeYZvlrNDVkpvA&p=https%3A%2F%2Fcommander-rahrah.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F185570225984%2Fresidency-an-open-heart-fic-part-twelve&m=1)_sent at 12:50pm_
> 
> Bryce: How’s it going? _sent at 4:05pm_
> 
> Bryce: Don’t tell me you’re letting your hair down without me. _sent at 10:13pm_
> 
> Bryce: What’s on the agenda today? _sent at 9:24am_

She usually replied so fast to him — unless she was at work. _Why wasn’t she replying now?_

Bryce ran his fingers through his long hair, messing it up nervously. Jordynne hadn’t replied to him since she texted to tell him she arrived in Miami for the conference with Dr. Ramsey.

He had no reason to worry — she had gotten there safe, that’s all that mattered.

And technically, she wasn’t _his_ to worry about. She was — but she wasn’t. Not really.

It was a work conference. Nothing would happen.

He did recall some of the Attendings gossiping about the conference in the cafeteria from the other day — talking about the antics they had gotten into from previous years, the parties and drinks…

Shaking his head at himself, Bryce threw his phone away. It bounced on the fabric of his couch cushion — out of his reach. Jordynne wouldn’t get wrapped up in that — he knew her. Besides, she was with Ramsey — Dr. No Fun Allowed. It would be fine.

_Right?_

Why was he so worried? He wasn’t the clingy type. It drove his ex’s insane before — how nonchalant he was, how he never got jealous. They said it was like he didn’t care. But he did.

And _boy,_ did he care with Jordynne. Almost too much. He barely knew the girl for a six hours before he was kissing her in that supply closet like his life depended on it.

He let out a sigh of relief as he heard his text tone. Stretching over quickly, he grabbed onto his phone and swiped up. A giant smile spread across his face as he saw her name and the tiny photo of her next to it.

> Jordy: Hey! Sorry, it was a jam-packed two days. _sent at 4:15pm_

Just got back to the hospital for my shift. _sent at 4:15pm_

> Bryce: Did you have any fun? Or did Dr. Terminator ruin everything for you? _sent at 4:17 pm_

> Jordy: I learned a lot. Go to go, drinks tonight usual spot? x _sent at 4:20 pm_

Quickly typing out another text, he agreed with a winky face. His white teeth bit his lip to try and stop the stupid grin spreading across his face.

* * *

She did her best to avoid him.

At the hospital — in the hallways, the cafeteria, the elevator. She took the long way past his office. She waited until she knew where he was before she went to check on Dr. Banerji.

Outside the hospital — taking her friends into the back booth at Donahue’s, staying over at Bryce’s constantly, skipping espresso roman’s in the morning, jogging in the opposite direction of his apartment complex.

A few days later, Jordynne had risked it that morning — walking past the cafe in the hopes of grabbing a bite to eat and some coffee before her shift. But she had noticed him through the window — sitting in a leather chair, nursing a paper cup in one hand and a book open in the other. She felt a knot develop in the pit of her stomach as she watched Ethan — his hair perfectly quaffed, the top two buttons of his dress shirt undone. He was wearing his glasses too. Gulping, she started walking again — picking up the pace.

She didn’t get it. _What caused him to change his mind so fast? _It had been so amazing — their kiss, the way he put his hands on her, the things he had said… It made her feel guilty to admit it, but she had imagined it so many times. And when it had finally happened…

_No. Don’t you think of him. _Jordynne said to herself, somehow walking even faster. She shoved her tight fists into her jacket pocket and headed towards the hospital.

* * *

_Inches._

That’s how far away Ethan was from Jordynne’s face. She gulped as she felt his lips brush against her palm — her hand clasped around his mouth to stop him from talking as they hid in the supply closet.

His steely blue eyes met her green ones, and she swore she saw them soften slightly. But before she could do anything else, they snapped back, his eyebrows furrowing. She felt his strong fingers grab onto her wrist, pulling her hand away from his mouth.

“We’re going to have to work on our boundaries.” He growled, eyeing the small space left between their bodies.

She glared at him, “Definitely. I’ll do that right after I help you break into this hospital facility, right?”

Raising his eyebrows, he replied, “Touché.”

Jordynne’s breath hitched as he leaned towards her, his arm grazing her side. _What was he — _She cut off her thoughts as he reached passed her and she heard the rattle of glass test tubes.

“We’ll need these.” He waved them in front of her, but she didn’t miss the swallow in his throat.

The pair stepped into lab afterward, and they let out a sigh of relief as they realized it was empty. “I think we’re in the clear for now, but we should hurry before Dr. Wen comes back.”

Ethan instructed her on what to do with the sample tubes, before turning around to boot up the computer. A loud thud caused her shoulders to tense up.

Spinning around she watched him smacking the side of the slowly rebooting computer. “Dammit! Work, you piece of —“

“What’s wrong?”

“It froze up on me. I’ll have to reboot the whole thing before we can continue.”

The loading bar started to slowly creep forward. Crossing her arms across her chest, Jordynne let out a sigh. “Looks like this might take a while…”

“Time that we don’t have. We’re risking too much just by…” He grabbed onto the bridge of his nose, pinching it before matching her sigh. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t take this out on you.”

She blinked at him, shaking her head, “I’ve got thicker skin than you think. It’s gonna take more than your temper to scare me off.”

“I appreciate that, but still…” His blue eyes betrayed him for a moment, “I can’t afford to push away the one person I can trust with this.”

She felt her stomach twist into a knot — she was that _one person_. “Have you ever done anything like this before?” This was the most that she had spoken to him all week.

“Not exactly. But I’ve bent the rules before.” His dark brows furrowed, “I’ve been a thorn in the side of many administrators. Things are… more complicated now that the chief is someone I actually respect. But I can’t give up. I owe Naveen everything.” His eyebrows furrowed, “I can’t lose him. I _won’t_ lose him.”

She couldn’t help herself. “Dr. Ramsey… We’ll find a way.” Jordynne licked her pink lips, “And I’ll be right by your side every step of the way.”

His eyes studied hers, watching carefully. His lips twitched, turning up slightly into a smile. “You’re not like the usual interns, Rookie.”

“You’ve said that before.” She said quietly, chewing the inside of her cheek.

The sound of the computer turning back on alerted him. He turned around, keying into the computer. “Are those samples ready? We need to be quick.”

The pair worked in silence, filling the analyzer and placing them into the machine.

“And now we wait.” He murmured, staring at the machine spinning and swirling the blood around.

Jordynne let out an exasperated sigh, “Can this _be_ any slower?”

He scoffed, “Spoken like someone who’s never monitored an M.R.I.”

The machines humming stopped as it finished analyzing the blood. It spat out a piece of paper with the results. Ethan grabbed it, but his face fell immediately as read it.

Jordynne pushed herself off of the counter, noticing his reaction, “What’s wrong?”

“His erythrocyte sedimentation rate is elevated. Whatever his infection is, it’s still there… But what’s most troubling is his glomerular filtration rate.” He held the report out for her to take.

“It’s down to sixteen. His kidneys could fail. What do we do?” She asked, her eyebrows furrowed.

“We keep trying everything we can think of. We have to find the source of his infection… I have some research to do. Go back to Naveen and update him. Leave nothing out. He’ll know if you’re hiding something.” Ethan instructed her, his voice monotone.

“Yes, Doctor.” She said politely. Turning on her heel, she went to leave before Ethan’s voice caused her to stop.

“Jordynne, wait…” It was the tone — it was different from before.

“Yeah?” She turned around, facing him.

“I just wanted to say… thank you.” His eyes fell to the floor, “I suppose I’m in your debt, now.”

“I don’t need you in my debt, Dr. Ramsey.” She swallowed, her eyebrows knitted together. “But I need some honesty.”

His eyes flashed up, “What do you mean?”

Licking her lips, Jordynne played with her fingers, “Be honest about us.”

“I’m… I’m not sure what you mean.” He wavered.

She let out an exasperated sigh, “I think you know _exactly_ what I mean.”

He turned his back to her, resting his hands onto the countertop. Against her better judgment, Jordynne walked up to him. She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder — her fingers could feel the knots in his strong muscles.

She watched him relax at her touch at first, leaning into it, “Please, Jordynne. This is hard enough already.”

“Then why keep fighting it?” She asked breathlessly, “We both want this. We both _feel _this. It almost seems…. inevitable.”

_God, _she could smell his cologne from here.

Turning around his blue eyes finally met hers. She studied them, trying to decipher the look he was giving her — want, confusion, pain.

He reached up, his fingers gently stroking her freckled cheek. “We’re doctors, Jordynne. Fighting the inevitable is our job description.”

She grabbed onto his fingers, holding them to her face, “Don’t pretend like it didn’t mean anything to you. I was there. I saw the way you looked at me.”

“I —,” He hesitated, “I never said it didn’t mean anything to me. It just can’t happen again.” He took his hand away from her, deep lines burrowing in between his brow and forehead.

“Ethan, talk to—“ Her words trailed off as she watched him walk away, her stomach tightening with the familiar feeling she had long gotten used to since Miami. She felt her heart suddenly raise up in her throat, and water well up in her eyes. She wasn’t sure why — from how hurt she felt, the frustration or the _anger_.

She was _not_ going to have that same conversation again. Not a chance.

Shaking her head at herself, Jordynne marched out of the room with one person in mind.

She needed to go find her distraction.

_________________________________________________________________________

_We have to keep this casual._

Jordynne’s voice echoed in Bryce’s mind as he laid in her bed, his fingers curled into her damp hair as her head rested on his chest. He dared a glance down at her face — her eyes were closed, her expression peaceful as he massaged her head.

_No strings. Fine by me._

Why had he said that? That was his chance, to make it more than casual, more than just pent up nights outside of the hospital, more than just… _whatever_ this was.

What was this?

Because it didn’t feel casual. Legs intertwined in her bed, spending the night for the third time in a row? Her stealing his hoodies when they had movie nights at his house on rainy Saturdays? The looks they gave each other in the candid photos they got tagged in on Pictogram? Kissing while skydiving? _Amazing_ sex in the shower?

Sienna had told him about her ex Brooks. _Was that why_? Did she want to distance herself because she was scared of getting hurt? Maybe the commitment was too much — two full-time doctors with shift work would be a hard relationship to manage.

He shouldn’t complain. Any time he got to spend with her was incredible — _she_ was incredible.

Jordynne stirred under his hand, moving her face to look up at him. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” He replied breathlessly, “I’m great.”

She let out a sigh, moving her head back onto his chest.

“Are you?” He asked, his brow furrowing slightly as her expression changed.

“I’m — There’s just a lot going on, you know.” Her voice was quiet.

His chest vibrated as he agreed with a hum.

“The competition, and how to deal with Jackie, and figuring out how to help Mrs. Martinez, and Miami…” She looked back up to him, a deep line furrowing in her brow.

“Hey, hey, hey,” Bryce kissed her forehead, “It will all be good.”

She licked her lips, “How can you be so sure?”

“Cause it’s you.” Reaching down, he pressed his lips to her pink ones. “If anyone’s going to do it, it’s gonna be you Jordynne.”

She kept her eyes closed for a moment longer than him after the kiss, her mouth twitching slightly.

“Why would Miami be bothering you though?”

She snapped her green eyes open, suddenly looking anxious again, “Huh?”

“You mentioned Miami before… Did something happen?”

“No!” She said too fast, her eyes turning wide. “Of course not, it was _just_ a conference. Lectures and swag.”

Bryce’s dark brown eyes studied hers — he didn’t believe her. Tucking a piece of her blonde hair behind her ear, he spoke again, “You know you can tell me anything right?”

“Mhm.” She said quietly, moving her head back onto her pillow instead of his chest.

He furrowed his brow at the action, letting this hand fall back on his bare chest. The pair laid in silence for a moment, before Bryce felt his heart flutter.

Jordynne’s long fingers had reached out to him, digging for his hand through the sheets. She wrapped her fingers around his tan wrist, pulling her into him. Their naked bodies wrapped around each other easily — her warm body settling into the divots of his hips and his chest. Bryce put his face into the crook of her neck — breathing in the orange blossom shampoo in her hair, the vanilla perfume that still lingered on her skin, his lips settling onto the soft skin of her neck into a gentle kiss.

She let out a soft moan, pushing her hips into Bryce. “Just —,” Her voice faltered as his lips brushed her shoulders now, “Just don’t go anywhere, ok?”

“I’m not going anywhere, Jordy.” He replied breathlessly, burying his face into her hair again as he wrapped her into a tight hug.

“Good,” She muttered, before turning on her side to crash her lips back onto his — deepening the kiss as her fingers knotted into his long hair.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Rating: T (Swearing, Romantic Tension) 
> 
> Word Count: 4900+ 
> 
> Description: Ethan takes care of a sick Rookie, and they have a much needed honest conversation. 
> 
> Disclaimer: Characters, storyline, and parts of the dialogue are taken from Pixelberry’s Choices. They fully own the characters, dialogue, backgrounds, etc. MC Jordynne’s background is my own creation, based loosely off of MC in-game’s personality and provided with more details.
> 
> Author’s Note: Lucky # 13! Boy, oh boy, did I have a hard time with this update. I was so busy and wrapped in work and felt like I never had the time to write, and then when I finally did have the time to write, my brain would be like “uhhhhhhhhhhhh”. Anyways, it’s here! I don’t know why, but I’ve been so obsessed with the fact MC bought Ethan chocolate, and this chapter is the cultivation of that. Also, the beginnings of more confrontational jealousy/angst with Bryce and Ethan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters, storyline, and parts of the dialogue are taken from Pixelberry’s Choices. They fully own the characters, dialogue, backgrounds, etc. MC Jordynne’s background is my own creation, based loosely off of MC in-game’s personality and provided with more details.

Pacing down the hallway, Ethan rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He had been at the hospital for over eighteen hours now, going back and forth between patient rooms, his office, and Naveen.

Slowing down his steps, he tried to peer into the on-call room casually. It was empty — the door slightly ajar, lights off and bunkbeds empty.

Letting out a sigh, he shoved his hands into his pockets and stormed off again. He hadn’t seen Jordynne all day — she had been in emergency during rounds, she didn’t join her friends at their rambunctious table in the cafeteria for lunch, she hadn’t checked in on Naveen all day.

He knew she hadn’t gone home — Dr. Santiago had switched his name to hers on the rotation chart. Not that he had checked…

Ethan knew she could be avoiding him. She probably was. He would do that — if he was her. It would be easier. Every time he saw her his own head swirled with confusion and want and anger. He had no idea what she was feeling — he hadn’t really given her the chance to tell him.

He knew better than to do it — but he just wanted to see her. If he saw that perky blonde ponytail, her crispy white coat, the glint in her eyes as she made a correct diagnosis. If he could hear the confidence in her voice — it would make him feel better. She had been flying through the competition, remaining number one since they returned from Miami — she was doing good.

As he turned the corner towards his office on the fifth floor, his steps faltered.

Jordynne was propped up against a wall, leaning up against it with her eyes closed. Her usual professional outfit — her blouse and white coat were long abandoned for scrubs and sneakers. Her blonde hair was a twisted knot at the nape of her neck, pieces hanging out to frame her face messily. A clipboard dangled loosely from her hand.

She hadn’t noticed him yet.

“Rookie, what are you doing?” Ethan asked, stopping just short of her.

Her thick brows furrowed at the sound of his voice. A heavy sigh escaped her lips, and her green eyes finally opened to look at him. She looked exhausted — large dark circles laid underneath her eyes, her tan skin pale but her cheeks and nose were flushed a deep pink. “What do you want, Dr. Ramsey?” Her voice was gravely and raw.

He crossed his arms over his chest, staring down at her, “Is that any way to speak to your Attending?”

She let out a groan, lifting her head off of the wall to blink lazily at him, “Ethan, don’t…”

His blue eyes studied her face more — it looked thinner. “You’re sick, aren’t you?”

Jordynne shook her head pathetically, “I’m working another double. I’m just tired.”

“Are you really going to try and lie about being sick to the head of diagnostics?” He raised his eyebrows at her, trying to force down the smile that was creeping on his lips.

“I’m not lying,” She raised herself up against the wall, crossing her arms across her chest to match his stance. “I don’t get sick.”

Ethan rolled his eyes at her, noticing the effort it took her to just stand up straight and glare at him. “Sure you don’t.”

Reaching his hand out, he went to touch her forehead, but she jerked back. “What are you doing?”

He swallowed the hurt he felt at her reaction, his hand hovering in front of her still, “I’m seeing if you have a fever.” Raising his eyebrows, he silently asked for permission.

Relenting, she pushed her forehead into his hand stubbornly. She closed her eyes as his cool skin met hers. He could feel her fever immediately — her skin hot and sweaty.

“Rookie, your burning up.” His blue eyes filled with concern as he pulled his hand away. “You need to go home.”

She shook her head at him, blonde pieces of her hair shaking in front of her face. “I can’t, I’ve got patients in beds and ER might need coverage later —“

“Jordynne,” Ethan cut her off, “If you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t take care of your patients.”

Another sigh escaped her lips, “I really don’t want a lecture right now.”

“It’s not a lecture.” Uncrossing his arms, he let them fall to his sides as he caught her eye. “You need to rest.”

“I can’t leave.” Her voice was quiet but certain.

“One night of rest won’t bump you from being number one in the competition.”

She shook her head at him angrily, “It’s not about the competition. I need to monitor their conditions, I’m waiting on some results —“

“I can do that.” Ethan shrugged, trying to meet her eye again. “You gotta know when to step away, Jordynne.”

“Holland’s don’t quit.”

“God, you sound like my father.” He grimaced, grabbing onto her elbow. “Come on, my office. Now.”

She didn’t move from his touch as he dragged her towards his office. He deposited her onto the leather couch in the corner of the room, before putting his hands on his hips and looking around the room. “Don’t move,” He said quickly, pointing at her before marching out of the room again.

Ethan was only gone for a moment, before returning with a few things tucked under his arms. Folding out one of the thin blue hospital blankets, he placed it on top of her legs carefully. She was studying him carefully, watching his movements.

He placed her water bottle, that he had found at the nurse stations, next to her. He knew it was hers —it was covered in stickers and had her patterned scrunchie wrapped around the top. Finally, he handed her a cool, damp cloth and instructed her to put it on her forehead.

“Sit. Drink.” Sitting down behind his desk, he started skimming through her patient’s files, getting caught up on their symptoms and treatments.

“You really should work on your bedside manner, Doctor.” She said, grabbing onto her water bottle and taking a small sip.

He rolled his eyes at her, “Well, I know you’ll be a stubborn patient.”

Chewing the inside of her lip, Jordynne couldn’t argue back.

“I told Casey and the nurses to come to me with updates.” He spoke without his eyes leaving the documents. “Sleep — I’ll be here.” She remained silent as he read, the only sound was her occasionally re-arranging herself on the couch.

Ethan had to purse his lips to keep himself from smiling — reading through her files and notes. She was _good. _She was getting better every day — her diagnoses were spot on, treatments were textbook. Her files could be used in case studies.

Looking up from his desk, he noticed Jordynne was laying down on the couch now, stirring slightly and her eyelids fluttered. Moving her files to the side, Ethan started looking over Naveen’s case again. It was driving him insane — re-reading the same work constantly, over and over and over. But there had to be something he was missing. Something he was overlooking.

A soft knock at his door brought him back to reality. Glancing over at the still sleeping Jordynne, he quickly crossed the room to open the door. Cracking the door open, he saw Harper standing outside his office, her hand on her hip. He kept the door open just enough for her to see him — blocking the view of the sleeping intern on his couch from her.

“Emery — what are you doing here?”

“Hi, Ethan. I’m great thanks for asking. How are you?”

Glancing down at his watch, Ethan realized the time. “It’s one in the morning, I’m not in the mood for pleasantries.”

She smirked at him, “It could be one in the afternoon and you wouldn’t be in the mood for pleasantries.”

Raising his eyebrows expectantly, Ethan waited for her to speak again.

“I was just passing by and saw the light on. I’m looking for the doctor on call — Holland?”

He tried his best to hide his swallow at the mention of Jordynne, “I sent her home.” He lied.

She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, “Did she do something wrong?”

“No, she’s sick — can’t be around patients in the state she is in. I’m staying to cover.” He closed the door a little more.

“That’s very nice of you — to cover for an intern.” He knew that voice — she was digging.

“It’s for… the patients. Not her.” He met her eye — staring down at her intently.

“Right.” He wasn’t sure if she believed him. “Well, make sure you get some sleep, okay? Even if it’s on that horrible couch in there.”

She reached out to grab onto his arm, but Ethan moved it to the side, out of her reach— which she noticed. “Goodnight Dr. Emery.”

“Dr. Ramsey,” She nodded, before turning on her heel and marching away.

Letting out a breath, Ethan slid back in through the door. Glancing over his shoulder, he realized his conversation had woken Jordynne up.

“Lying to the chief now?” Her face was still flushed with fever, but she tried to manage a cheeky smile.

He objected. “I didn’t lie.”

“Oh, I didn’t realize your office was my new home.”

He scoffed, “Well, I did send you home. You just didn’t listen.” He sidled up next to the couch, kneeling next to her, “How are you feeling?”

“Tired. Cold too.” She played with her ponytail and unraveled her hair from it. “Sore throat.”

He grabbed his stethoscope out of his pocket and held it up in silent permission. When she nodded, Ethan slid the tip down the top of her scrubs top. Focusing his mind, he listened to her breath for a moment. “Influenza - a cold.”

“Ugh, I was hoping you wouldn’t say that.” She slumped back into the couch, exasperated.

“Twenty-four hours, at least Rookie. I’d better not see you here tomorrow.” He put his hands on his knees and pushed himself up.

“I have the day off.”

“Good, you need it.” 

She eyed the pile on his desk, “Are you reviewing Dr. Banerji’s case again?”

He let out a sigh, “Yes, to no prevail.”

“I thought of a few more ideas I haven’t tested yet. I can’t remember them right now — but I jotted them down in my notebook in my bag. I’ll go get it.” She started straining herself, attempting to get off of the couch.

“There is a no chance of me letting you get off of this couch right now, Rookie. I’ll go get it. And something for your stomach — you need to eat.”

“Okay.”

“Don’t — don’t go anywhere.” He paused at the door, looking her over. His voice was sincere. “Okay?”

“Okay.” She made a point of tucking herself into her blanket, burrowing into her spot on the couch a little deeper. “Locker 37.”

The halls were quiet as he made his way down to the first floor, and headed into the employees’ locker room. It didn’t take him very long to find her locker — and it was unlocked. _Of course, it was_. She was too trusting.

Opening it up, he got a wave of her vanilla perfume wafted towards him. Her locker was messily organized — a pile of textbooks sitting underneath her grey messenger bag, a collection of pens in a magnet holder. She had her change of clothes folded neatly on top of her stuff. Ethan grabbed her bag and clothes, tucking them under his arm quickly. A loud clatter to the floor made his shoulders hunch up.

Looking down to the ground, he saw her phone sitting face down on the hard tiled floor. Balancing her things on his hip, he quickly picked it up and inspected the screen for cracks. He let out a sigh of relief as he realized there were no cracks – but he felt a frown form on his face as her screen lit up with texts.

She had tons of missed notifications — which didn’t surprise him. Jordynne was much more sociable and friendly than he was. And she had been working for the entire day — and wasn’t using any of her breaks. Names flashed across the screen — missed FaceSpace from her mom, texts from a Jason — _that was her bother, right? — _her roommates asking how her shift was going in a large group chat. His heart faltered at Lahela’s name — he knew he would see it. Emojis were twisted into the letters of his name, making it stand out with its color.

> 💛 🏄🏽‍♂️ Bryce 😊 🐶: This is going to be super selfish, but you should really just let yourself in after your shift? Just stay over here, and then we can start our day of fun as soon as possible. If you know what I mean 😏 . sent at 11:41pm

Ethan felt his stomach twist — feeling the familiar wave of jealousy spreading through his body. It’s what he wanted wasn’t it — for her to find someone else. It would be easier on her that way. But it didn’t mean he liked it. Realizing the invasion of privacy, he shoved her phone into her messenger bag without another glance.

Heading back upstairs, he avoided eye contact with a nurse he didn’t recognize on the elevator before zooming back towards his office. Holding on the strap of Jordynne’s messenger bag tightly across his shoulder, he stopped at the vending machine to purchase instant soups and the nurse station to fill them with hot water. Balancing the steaming cups in his hands, he jimmied his way back into his office — the door flying open quickly.

Jordynne looked up at him standing in the door frame with a look of alarm — his entrance was very abrupt. He crossed the room in a few strides, before holding the boiling styrofoam cups of soup out to her.

“Chicken or beef?” He blurted out.

“What?” Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“Soup. Chicken or beef?”

Blinking, “Oh! Chicken, thanks.” She said quietly, moving her arm to get up off of the couch.

Before she could move further, he handed her the soup — stopping her movement. She smiled at him sheepishly before settling back into the couch. She hugged the soup close to her, relishing in the warmth.

Ethan put his dinner down on his desk carefully, before placing her messenger bag at her side. “Here’s your things.”

Balancing her food onto the arm of the couch, she dug through her bag immediately and pulled out her little black notebook. It was busting at the seams now — it looked like it was stuffed with post-it notes, folded pieces of paper were tucked in between the pages. “Here,” She tossed the journal in the air to Ethan, who caught it between his hands easily. 

“Thanks,” He murmured, thumbing through the book until he found the most recent pages. Holding the book up to read, he maneuvered through his office with ease — opening up the drawer beneath his coffee machine and pulling out plastic utensils. Without really thinking about it, Ethan plopped down onto the couch, next to Jordynne and handed her the plastic spoon and knife. Realizing how close he was, he slid over to the other side of the sofa.

The pair ate in silence — the only sound was the slow slurping of them eating their instant soup and the occasional cough from Jordynne.

“You know, you are _way_ to prepared for this.”

Ethan furrowed his thick brows at her, his nose scrunching up, “What?”

Jordynne waved at their soup, her blanket, his drawer filled with plastic cutlery, “For staying over in your office. I can tell you do this a lot.”

“I — Well, it’s just easier sometimes.” He hesitated, “Besides, you of all people know there’s nothing waiting for me at home.”

She flashed him a look, “I’m telling Jenner.”

“Jenner…,” He let out a humorless laugh, “He deserves a better owner.”

“I think he has a great owner. He just needs to realize that there is a world outside of this hospital.” She looked over at him, her eyes sincere.

Ethan opened his mouth to speak before closing it again. He didn’t know what to say to that. He didn’t know what to think about any of this. His insistence on taking care of her, the constant fight between his head and heart. The proximity of the two of them on the couch — how he could just reach out and touch her so easily. The text from Lahela. The look on Harper’s face as she questioned him. It was too much — _too complicated_.

He blinked back to reality as he felt a shift of movement on the couch as Jordynne stood up. “Where do you think you’re going, Rookie?”

“I’m assuming you’re not going to let me go back to my patients?” She took her hand off of her hip and pointed behind herself to the patient rooms surrounding his office.

“No.” He said shortly.

“And there is no way I’m leaving this hospital tonight. So, I might as well settle in.” She bent over and grabbed the clothes Ethan had put into her bag for her.

Ethan tensed as she moved to peel her scrub top off, and he averted his eyes. “Oh, here let me leave —“

“I’m wearing a shirt underneath, Ethan. You can relax.”

Except he couldn’t. His body went on full alert as he took her in, heat spreading across his neck and stomach climbing up into his throat. She had a small tank top on underneath — the thin fabric leaving little to the imagination, clinging to the curve of her waist and chest, the low scoop revealing the top of her cleavage. He swallowed as she pulled a worn Oregon State sweater over her head — hiding the sight of her body once more.

Moving his eyes back down to her notebook, he attempted to focus on her neat printing as she finished changing. He felt the cushion sink as she sat down next to him again, curling her socked feet up onto the couch.

“You’ve thought a lot about this,” He said quietly, thumbing through the pages of her notebook.

“I told you I would help you. Some of the things in there,” She pointed at the book, her eyes half-closed as she rested her head on the arm of the couch, “Probably don’t make any sense… But I thought it would be worth a shot.”

“No, they’re — they’re good. I haven’t thought of Lymphocytic Thyroiditis…. It fits his symptoms.” He scratched at his beard, as he continued reading. As he turned the page, a folded piece of paper fell onto his lap, and he opened it up to find a printed out article. “Rhodes Disease?” He held it up, his eyebrows raised in question.

“I know she’s not _officially _my patient, but I started looking into it for Mrs. Martinez.”

A smile snuck onto his lips, “So you’re going to find the cure to Rhodes Disease now too?”

A quiet chuckle escaped her lips as she wrapped herself up into the blanket further, “I know it sounds stupid but…,” She trailed off, her voice croaking slightly, “I just don’t want Mrs. Martinez to feel so trapped anymore. She wants to live out the rest of her life _outside_ of this hospital — regardless of how many days she has left.”

Ethan felt a wave of guilt wash over him — his throat tightening as he thought of Naveen alone in his bed in the construction zone. He was the reason he was trapped in the hospital day after day, and _for what?_

“Stop thinking about Dr. Banerji.” Jordynne still had her eyes closed, her head resting on the couch and blonde hair splayed out behind her.

“I wasn’t—“ But she cut him off.

“Ethan, just for one night try not to overthink and overanalyze everything.” She rolled over onto the couch, getting more comfortable and twisting herself up in the blanket. “You’re already trapped in your office at work with a stubborn patient. Don’t make it worse for yourself.”

“Get out of my head, Rookie.” He said with a twisted laugh, sinking into the couch a little further. “And I’m not trapped in here with you. I’m glad I found you when I did — or you would be passed out in some supply closet.”

“You were trying to find me?” She asked, her voice quiet.

“No. Yes. I —“ He stammered over his words, “I just hadn’t seen you and was curious.”

“Mhmm, sure.” Her voice croaked again.

Ethan stole a glance at her — she still had her eyes closed, her lashes casting a little shadow onto her flushed cheeks. Her hands underneath her head to form a makeshift pillow, and her legs were pulled up into herself, curling up onto the couch to make room for him.

Swallowing hard again, Ethan tilted his back until it was resting on the backrest of the couch. Staring up at the ceiling, he tried his best to not start overthinking.

* * *

Pain.

That’s what she woke up to first.

Jordynne’s eyes squeezed shut as she woke up the horrible sensation of a raw, swollen throat. Blinking several times, she woke herself up and looked up at the ceiling of Ethan’s office. The lights were off — a warm glow coming from the lamp on his desk. She didn’t remember them turning them off — she must have passed out on him pretty hard.

Turning her head, she looked down the leather couch and found Ethan still sleeping. His head was tilted back, resting on the backrest with his face to the ceiling. Her eyes traced the line of his jaw and cheekbones, his prominent nose and soft lips. Gulping guiltily, she tore her eyes away and noticed his outstretched arm — his large hand just inches away from her tan one. _Did they fall asleep holding hands? _Jordynne raked her brain, trying to remember anything but could only recall them talking about Mrs. Martinez and Dr. Banerji.

With a furrowed brow, she slowly reached down into her bag and dug around for her phone to check the time — 6AM. Her face softened as she read the notifications she had missed from her family and friends. She replied to her mother first, quickly typing out an apology for missing their weekly call. After replying to her brother and friends, her finger hesitated over Bryce’s name. Chewing her lip, she glanced between her phone and Ethan before typing out another message.

> I’m sure you’ll realize I’m not there when you read this. I ended up sick last night, and camped out at the hospital. Rain check? sent at 6:04am

Jordynne propped herself up on to her elbow, looking out at his office. She hadn’t been in it for a while — avoiding the space like the plague after Miami. Getting up off of the couch slowly, she did her best not to wake Ethan up.

Hunched over slightly from aches and pains, she moved around his desk in search of medicine. He practically lived in the room, she figured he would have to have some. She paused at the papers on his desk — looking at the multiple textbooks he had flipped open and dog-eared, the notepad with his messy, scratchy writing she was just now starting to be able to read. His computer was blinking softly every so often, having long fallen into “sleep” mode, and a cold, stale cup of coffee sat next to it long forgotten.

Opening up the drawers quietly, she rummaged through a few in search of a familiar bottle. As she opened the last one, it caught slightly and caused a sound. Looking down into the drawer, Jordynne’s eyebrows furrowed together.

“Rookie, what are you doing?” Ethan’s sleepy voice asked.

She didn’t reply but instead looked up at him — confusion washing over her face. “What is this, Ethan?”

“If you’re looking for medicine, you’re in the wrong…” His voice trailed off as Jordynne held up several chocolate bars to him.

“Are these — Are these the chocolate bars I gave you?” She questioned, the line between her brows getting deeper.

He opened his mouth, stammering, “I — uh,”

“Are they? Yes or no.” She asked sternly.

“Yes.”

“Why are they in here? Locked away in a drawer?”

He licked his lips, thinking, “Because, I —“

“Because you what?” She interrupted, “Is it also unethical for you to accept a gift from an intern now? How dare I attempt to comfort you with a 99 cent piece of chocolate.” She dropped them back into the drawer with a _thump_, and crossed her arms over her chest, “You made it seem like it helped. You told me it did.”

He got off of the couch quickly, standing on the opposite side of the desk from her, “It did.”

“Then why are they sitting in your desk, hidden and untouched?” She stared at him, waiting for an answer.

“Because —,” He took a deep breath, his hands were tight fists at his side, “Because I don’t deserve it.”

The pair stood across from each other for a moment — remaining silent as their eyes met.

“I don’t deserve it,” Ethan repeated, letting his fingers out of their fist.

“This isn’t about the chocolate, is it?” She uncrossed her arms, letting them fall to her side. Her expression softened, the line between her brows disappearing. 

“All of this — the chocolate, and visiting my apartment, and your help with Naveen. Miami. I’m not worth it, Jordynne.”

She shook her head, blinking, “Don’t say that.”

“_I’m not_.” He barked, his voice louder than he intended. “Everything that we’ve done — that I’ve made you do…” His voice trailed off as he ran his fingers through his thick hair, “This isn’t _my_ risk to take. It’s yours. And risking your career, and reputation, on me? I’m not worth it. I don’t deserve that.”

Jordynne moved around the desk, and she watched as Ethan gulped at her movement. “Like you said, it’s _my _risk to take.” Her voice was still gravely and raw from being sick, but sincere. She stopped just in front of him, moving her neck to look up at his face. “You wanna know what I think? I think, that _this,_” She pointed back and forth between them, “Means something. It means a lot.” Without really thinking about it, she reached her fingers out and grabbed onto his. “And locking it away in a desk drawer, or avoiding each other in the halls, and Donahue’s isn’t going to change that.”

She felt her heart leap at the sensation of him holding onto her fingers tighter. “We keep coming back to this,” He said, his voice low.

“It’s inevitable.” A small smile tugged at the corners of their lips at the word.

Jordynne looked up at Ethan, meeting his blue eyes with her green ones. All of him — his thick eyebrows, the bags under his eyes, his dark stubble; his fast quips and smart mouth, his never-ending knowledge, the way he tugged on the back of his shirt when he was nervous — _how did he think he wasn’t worth it?_

“I really wish I wasn’t sick right now.” She sighed, her voice rawer than before.

He met her sigh, “Me too.”

She eyed his mouth, licking her pink lips shiny, “But getting Dr. Ramsey sick wouldn’t be very good for the hospital, would it?.”

“It may be a tad suspicious too.” He joked, raising an eyebrow.

“There are other ways to get sick, Ethan.” She smiled cheekily, but the sound of a knock at the door caused the two to jump.

Ripping their hands apart quickly, Ethan flashed Jordynne a look before heading to the door. She quickly grabbed her messenger bag and notebook, pulling it onto her shoulder as he opened the door.

“Dr. Ramsey, hey, I was actually just looking for —“

“Bryce?” Jordynne peered over Ethan’s shoulder to see Bryce standing outside, his arms crossed over a puffed out chest.

“Jordy, hey.” Using his shoulder, he moved past the Attending and into his office. “I didn’t think I’d find you up here. I checked the on-call room, but you weren’t there.”

“Oh yeah,” Panicked filled her for a moment, “I was just getting an update from Dr. Ramsey on my patients. He covered for me last night, so I could try and sleep whatever this is off.” Her fingers wrapped around the strap of her bag tightly.

Bryce’s smile faltered a bit, but he grabbed onto her anyway, “Well, let’s get you out of this place and go home? When I saw your text I ordered a Dryver right away — they’re waiting outside.”

“Oh,” She blinked, trying to catch Ethan’s eye but he was looking down at the floor. “Okay…”

As the pair walked over to the door, Bryce grabbed onto the strap of her messenger bag, “Here, I’ll take that for you.” He slung the bag over his head easily, before holding the door open for her to leave.

Jordynne glanced behind her again, hoping to catch his eye once more.

She did. They were filled with uncertainty, as he watched her walk away. “Feel better, Rookie.” He said, his voice back to its usual cold tone.

As Ethan went to the grab the door from Bryce, he paused as the surgical intern turned to face him, only about a foot apart, “Thanks for the assist, Dr. Ramsey. But I’ll take it from here.” He flashed him a devilish smile, before turning on his heel and wrapping his arm around Jordynne.

Dumbfounded Ethan watched them for a moment, before closing the door a little harder than he intended. Letting out the breath he didn’t realize he was holding, he leaned up against the door, placing his forehead onto the wood. 

_What did they just get into?_


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Rating: M (Swearing, Kissing)
> 
> Word Count: 5900+
> 
> Description: Ethan and Jordynne receive advice from two lonely hospital patients. The pair of them find comfort in each other. 
> 
> Disclaimer: Characters, storyline, and parts of the dialogue are taken from Pixelberry’s Choices. They fully own the characters, dialogue, backgrounds, etc. MC Jordynne’s background is my own creation, based loosely off of MC in-game’s personality and provided with more details.
> 
> Author’s Note: Oh, Mrs. Martinez chapter… How it broke my heart. I always wished we had more one on one scenes with MC and Naveen as well, so I wrote one of those! I’m starting to gear up for the hurt and angst – boy, oh boy it’s a big one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters, storyline, and parts of the dialogue are taken from Pixelberry’s Choices. They fully own the characters, dialogue, backgrounds, etc. MC Jordynne’s background is my own creation, based loosely off of MC in-game’s personality and provided with more details.

Drumming her fingers on her clipboard, Jordynne waited nervously for the elevator doors to open. She was headed to check on Naveen, and was doing her best to make sure that nobody noticed her absence on her floor.

And maybe she was hoping a certain Attending would be with Dr. Banerji as well.

They hadn’t had much time together since Bryce had shown up at his office a week earlier. At least not the type of moment she was hoping for. Rounds, and passing by in the cafeteria didn’t really count.

Across the hospital, Ethan hovered at the nurses’ station — glancing over his shoulder, trying to keep an eye out for the familiar flicker of blonde hair. He wasn’t sure what he was waiting for — he could just page her. But it didn’t feel the same. And he didn’t really want anyone to know he was seeking her out — he didn’t have a good enough excuse for that.

Jordynne darted into the newly constructed wing, ducking under the plastic tarps and into the hallway of Naveen’s room. Quickly padding over, she felt her shoulders sink a little as she realized that the old man was lying in the room all alone. No Ethan in sight.

Noticing the lingering eyes from a few nearby nurses, Ethan pushed himself up off of the counter and started marching through the halls. She had to be around here somewhere.

“Oh, Doctor! Hello!” Two different voices from opposite sides of the hospital caught both of their attention.

Jordynne crossed over to Naveen’s bed, grabbing onto his wrist gently with a smile. “Dr. Banerji, how are you feeling today?”

“I’ve told you a thousand times, Naveen my girl.” His other brown hand tapped hers before he clasped it. “But what I really want to know is how _you _are?”

Her eyebrows raised in surprise, “Me? I’m fi—“

But the old man stopped her with a _tsk, _“You know, all I do is sit in this bed and stare at the pair of you all day. I notice things.”

Trying to hide the emotion on her face, she grabbed the flip chart from the bottom of the bed and stared at it instead. Licking her pink lips, she questioned him, “And what have you noticed?”

“Well,” He sat up in the bed a little more, and clasped his hands together on his lap, “First, obviously something happened between you two in Miami — other than Ethan selling out my department to the cockroach. Second, you both obviously are not ‘_fine_’.” He curled his fingers into quotation marks.

Jordynne hesitated, “Did Dr. Ramsey say anything?”

“He doesn’t have to. I’ve known Ethan for a very long time, my dear. It’s very easy to see that he is… _conflicted, _to say the least.”

She scoffed a little, “Conflicted. Right.” Putting down the chart, she sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the sterile, white wall. “I’m confused — more than anything.”

“About?”

“I never know which Ethan I’m going to get.” She said quietly, staring at her hands in her lap. “The cynical Attending, the cold, calculated researcher, a mentor, or just _Ethan._”

Naveen furrowed his dark brows for a moment, thinking, “He’s afraid.”

Jordynne nodded, “I know, he is. But all this waiting and hoping — it’s killing me. I know what I want.” Her soft voice broke a little as she finally looked at Naveen.

The old man gave her a sad smile, “Patience is a virtue? All good things come to those who wait?” He offered.

She let out a breathless laugh.

“Don’t give up on him, Jordynne. Don’t give up on Ethan.” He leaned forward on the bed, and grabbed her elbow gently, “Maybe you’re not meant to be together today, but meant to be in the future.”

She chewed her lip as she felt water forming in her eyes, “I won’t.”

Ethan turned around at the voice next to him, “Oh, Doctor! Hello!”

A small smile spread across his face as he saw Mrs. Martinez walked over to him — her usual IV stand prop was nowhere to be seen. “Look at you, Mrs. Martinez! You look great.”

“Ha, coming from Dr. Handsome, I’ll take it.” She winked, linking her arm in his. The pair walked in silence for a moment, before stopping at the end of the hall in front of the big bright windows. “You just missed her.”

His forehead crinkled in confusion, “What?”

“Dr. Holland.” She said simply, still looking out the window. “I assume that’s who you are looking for.”

Licking his lips, Ethan subtly glanced around them — to make sure no one was listening. The hallway was quiet — only a nurse worked quietly at her station far from them. “What are you talking about, Teresa?” He hissed, keeping his voice low.

She snorted, “Oh, I didn’t realize it was a secret – since you’re so _obvious._”

His blue eyes flashed her a look, “What—“

“The way you two look at each other – it’s like watching a movie. Will they? Won’t they?” She gave him a teasing smile, "You do know I’m an old woman, who does nothing but sit in a bed all day. I notice things.”

Ethan’s shoulders dropped a little, feeling less defensive. “It’s not really that obvious, is it?” He asked quietly.

Mrs. Martinez patted his hand softly, “Only to those who are invested, love. And I know you both quite well by now — so it is clear to me. Is it clear to you?”

He let out a sigh, looking back out the window — watching the cyclists whiz by, pedestrians loitering on the sidewalk below. “It’s not cut and dry, black and white. It’s… complicated.” He hated that word so much now.

“It doesn’t have to be complicated.” _God, she sounded just like Jordynne._

He set his jaw in a hard line, “But it is.”

Feeling her turn, Ethan moved to face Mrs. Martinez. She looked up at him — her old eyes turning wise, “You want to know what I think?” Before he could answer, she started speaking again, “I think, the universe sends us exactly what we need, right when we need it.” Her wrinkled face turned into a smile once again, “And I’ve been in this hospital for a _very _long time, love. And I have never met anyone like that girl.”

Leaning forward, she placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him a hearty tap. “So don’t fuck it up.” She said quietly, before padding away back to her room.

Ethan stood dumbfounded for a moment — his eyebrows raised in surprise. Realizing where he was, he blinked himself back to reality before racing back to his office.

* * *

“Surprise!” The chorus of voices echoed throughout the cafeteria as Mrs. Martinez entered the room. The old woman’s mouth opened, her eyes going wide as she took in everyone.

“Surprise, Mrs. Martinez! We’re so glad to see you healthy enough to leave!” Jordynne wrapped her arm around her shoulder, pressing her into a side hug.

Ethan had to fight the smile growing on his face as he watched the old woman’s face light up. “What… What is all this?”

Harper stepped forward, “You’ve been a staple of this hospital for years. We wanted to send you off properly.” She said, giving her a warm smile.

The old woman wiped at her eyes, "I’m simply… From the bottom of my heart, thank you.”

“You deserve it. All of it.” Jordynne said tenderly, before stepping back to let the rest of the hospital staff crowd around Mrs. Martinez. A soft smile spread across her face as she watched.

Ethan sidled up next to her, “Enjoying yourself, Rookie?” 

She turned her head, her green eyes meeting his blue ones, “This is better than I expected. Mrs. Martinez seems to be enjoying herself too.”

The pair smiled as they watched her deep in conversation, recounting one of her stories with large hand motions.

Ethan crossed his arms over his chest, “I haven’t seen her smile this easily in a long time.”

“I can’t believe you got so many people to come to this.” She waved to the crowd of people in the cafeteria.

He shrugged, “Easy. I just paged them. Mrs. Martinez has been here longer than some of us have been doctors. She’s the heart and soul of Edenbrook.”

He watched her out of the corner of his eye — the proud look on her face, the freckles that dusted her nose, her shiny pink lips. Gulping, he looked away with a furrowed brow, “And, Rookie… don’t think I’ve forgotten.”

Her forehead crinkled, “Forgotten what?”

“The day of Declan’s meeting.” He recalled the day, how she had asked him to trust her. That it would be better if he didn’t know. That she was doing whatever it took. “I know you had some hand in this. Perhaps one day you’ll be so kind as to clue me in.”

She bit her lip, “Yeah… one day…”

“Pssst! Jordynne!” Dr. Varma waved her over, and she gave Ethan a polite smile and shrug before walking over to her group of her friends in the corner. He swallowed as Lahela wrapped his arm around her waist easily, drawing her into him as the group put their head together.

_What was he trying to do here?_ They still hadn’t spoken — not like he wanted to. Mrs. Martinez’s words filled his head. _Don’t fuck it up._

Blinking himself back to reality, he watched as Jordynne stepped forward with her coffee mug, “Everyone, please raise your glasses for a toast…

“Here’s to Mrs. Martinez and her next big adventure!” People clinked their coffee mugs and paper cups together in the toast. Ethan held his cup in the air for a moment alone, before hugging his back to his chest.

“Thank you all…” She wiped a tear away from her cheek, “So much. I’m so happy to have friends like you all.”

“I still don’t quite understand how you improved so quickly…,” Harper’s face was clouded with a look Ethan knew well — suspicion, confusion. “But I’m happy to see you go. I received word that your ride is here.”

“Wonderful! Dr. Holland, perhaps you can escort me downstairs.” She looped her arm through Jordynne’s like she had done with so many of the doctors and nurses before.

Jordynne gave her a big smile, before muttering something to Mrs. Martinez under her breath. She looked up at Ethan, her eyes soft. Nodding her head towards this entrance, she silently asked for him to join them.

Ethan sidled up to them, offering the crook of his elbow out to Mrs. Martinez, “You sure?” He asked hesitantly, almost glancing back to her group of friends. The pair nodded together. “If that’s what you want.” Using his other hand, he grabbed the handle of her little red suitcase and started walking.

The trio walked in silence down the hall and through the front entrance, all of them taking the time to look at the all too familiar building.

Once they were outside, Teresa took her arms away from the two doctors and took in a big breath of fresh air. She moved her face up, letting the warm sunshine on it. Turning around, she faced them again — tears rolling down her wrinkly cheeks. “For years, I couldn’t wait to get away, but now… part of me will miss this awful place.”

“We’ll miss you too, Mrs. Martinez,” Ethan said gruffly, swallowing the lump that was forming in his throat.

Giving him a warm smile, she spoke to him again, “Play nice with Dr. Holland, Ethan dear. You’re lucky to have her.”

“What?” Ethan’s mouth dropped open, his eyes flashing to Jordynne, “I mean… She’s,”

Mrs. Martinez winked at him, “Pick your jaw off of the floor, Dr. Ramsey. A handsome face like that shouldn’t look like a fish.”

He barked out a laugh, “Now go on. Get outta here. Don’t let me see your face around here again, understood?”

“Understood, Ethan.” Opening her arms, she pushed herself into him and gave him a big hug. She gave him a sweet smile, before doing the same to Jordynne. She moved her mouth up to the intern’s ear, speaking too low for him to hear again.

“Look out, world… here I come!” She grabbed onto her rolling suitcase, waddling off towards her car.

The pair watched her for a moment, shoulder to shoulder like normal. He felt Jordynne’s soft skin brush against the back of his hand — they were back to these moments? Accidentally touching that caused that familiar sense of electricity. The lingering moments alone?

Ethan felt his breath hitch slightly as Jordynne laced her fingers through his — the movement slow, questioning. Without thinking about, he moved his fingers around hers — it felt so natural. His thumb stroked across the soft skin of her fingers, memorizing how it felt.

They stood like that long after Mrs. Martinez cab disappeared around the busy corner of downtown Boston — watching the cyclists and cabs go by.

He felt a vibration on his hip, and let out a sigh. “Back to the daily struggle, I suppose.” It took more effort than he thought to undo his fingers from hers, stepping back from her towards the hospital doors. Glancing back, he paused to look at her again, “Rookie…,” There were so many things he could say right now.

“For what it’s worth… Mrs. Martinez saw something special in you.”

Jordynne tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear, her cheeks flushed pink as she eyed the pavement before looking back up at him. “Do you see it too?”

_Smart mouth_. He tried to resist the smile aching to spread across his lips, but he gave in. “Since day one.” Grabbing onto the door, he gave her one last look before heading back into the hospital.

* * *

Jordynne stared catatonically at the dark wall in the on-call room, feeling tears well up in her eyes. Heat spread through her body, and pain burst in her chest. _No, no, no. This wasn’t supposed to happen. It’s not supposed to turn out this way._

A warm hand on her back made Jordynne realize where she was. Setting her jawline, she tried to stop the tears from falling down her cheeks.

She knew it was Bryce next to her — he was so familiar. His warmth was radiating off of him like a furnace, his practiced hand rubbing her back with ease. It was usually so comforting — but his touch made the pain in chest hurt more. It added another layer of heartache. Because it wasn’t his comfort she craved right now.

A loud sob escaped her, and the dam was broken. Tears came down even faster, and she threw her face into her hands.

“Hey, hey… It’ll be okay.” Bryce’s honeyed voice said. He drew her into his chest, enveloping her in a hug. He nuzzled his face into her neck and hair, placing a kiss there. 

Jordynne hated herself.

The rest of the day was a haze. Her friends had convinced her not to tell Chief Emery yet. A few nurses had finally come back to help her, after much convincing from Danny’s part. It was long past her shift now. She had said no to her friends’ suggestion to go out, insisting they have fun without her. Bryce had waited, double-checked to make sure she was okay, before giving her a kiss on the check.

Wandering through the hospital halls, she searched for him again.

The cafeteria was almost empty — patients, family members and hospital staff trickling out after the final meal of the day was served. Outside the sun was gone, leaving behind a navy sky that was illuminated by the city lights.

She saw him right away. Somehow he was always the first thing she saw in a room.

Ethan was in his usual corner, nursing the final drags of the coffee he most definitely brought down from his office. A leafy salad sat in front him, barely touched. He wasn’t hungry, she guessed. His finger skimmed across the words of a medical journal, his blue eyes passing over the words without really taking them in.

“Mind if I join you?”Jordynne asked, hesitating near his table.

He looked up at the sound of her voice, his brows furrowing as he took her in. He nudged out the chair across from him in a silent invitation.

“Reading anything good?” She did her best to keep her voice casual, her shaking fingers hidden underneath the table.

He shrugged, his white coat bustling around his muscular shoulders and biceps, “A fairly longwinded examination of the use of social media by physicians.”

A soft chuckle escaped her lips despite her mood, “You don’t strike me as the type to care about social media.”

A wry smile spread across his face, “I don’t. I’m waiting for the results for another of Naveen’s tests. I guess I’m trying to keep myself distracted.”

Jordynne chewed her lip, “I could use a little of that, too. Did — did you hear about Mrs. Martinez?”

She watched as his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down, “I did.”

The lump in her throat was getting too hard to push down, and there was familiar tightness in her chest, “It was me. I’m the reason she died.”

Ethan took a moment to consider what she said before he snapped his book close, looking around the cafeteria to find the room empty. “Tell me.”

Jordynne started talking and talking — feeling so relieved to have finally told him. The secret had been eating away at her. He had told her his — about Naveen. She wasn’t really sure why she had waited so long. She felt some of the pain in her chest go away — but not enough. 

He let out a long breath through his nose, “Well. You wouldn’t be the first doctor to do an utterly idiotic thing for noble reasons. Myself included.”

“I was so sure I was doing the right thing, but now… I can’t stop thinking about her. It’s like with my first patient Annie all over again. Or Delores. I’ve second-guessed everything I’ve said to every patient today. I’m terrified of getting it wrong with someone else…” She picked at the tops of her nails nervously, “Or coming back tomorrow to find myself kicked out of the program and not even getting a chance to try again.” She set her jaw as she felt hot tears welling up in her eyes, “And then I think of Mrs. Martinez dying all alone in another country and I feel so selfish for worrying about myself.” The tears splashed onto her cheeks as she finished, not able to take a full breath.

Ethan’s warm fingers wrapped around her tan wrist, his thumb massaging into her in smooth, calming circles, “Stop,” He said calmly, before dipping his head down so he could see up into her face, that was bowed down, attempting to hide her tears. “You can’t do this to yourself. What you did was unethical and stupid, and _kind._”

“You’re not angry at me?” She asked through the hiccups — trying to catch her breath.

“Anyone who cared about Teresa knew how much she hated being cooped up in this hospital.” He licked his lips as he stared down at his hand still wrapped around her wrist, “I wish you’d considered your own future in all of this, but it’s done now. Marinating in guilt won’t bring her back. You know that. We’ve done this.”

Her blonde ponytail bobbed as she shook her head, “I deserve to feel guilty about this,”

He squeezed her hand a little tighter, “Then your patients will suffer for it. Guilt destroys good doctors, Jordynne. I’ve seen it happen over and over again.”

“So what do I do?” She asked, chewing the inside of her cheek.

“Examine your mistakes, learn from them and let it go.” He said simply.

“That easy, huh?”

“I never said it was easy.” Pulling his hand away from hers, he checked the time on his expensive, leather watch, “I don’t think I’m getting these results today. I think I need to get away for a while if I am going to keep my sanity.”

She watched him wrestle with his own thoughts for a moment, before he spoke again, “I have season tickets at the Boston Opera House… Why don’t you join me?”

Her mouth opened in surprise, “Really? I mean, I was planning to just stay late and work…”

“I know the feeling. When something goes wrong, you want to make up for it immediately. But over the years, I’ve found it most important to let yourself process what happened. Let yourself feel it. And frankly, I consider the opera one of the most beautiful places in the city to let yourself feel.”

“_The_ Doctor Ramsey, workaholic extraordinaire, just admitted that taking a break is good for him?” She teased.

“Rookie, are you coming or not?” He raised his eyebrow, pushing his chair into the cafeteria table.

Gulping a little, she tried to force down the conflicting emotions spreading through her body, “Yeah. Yeah, okay.”

* * *

Standing in front of the mirror, Jordynne readjusted the silky black dress one more time. She didn’t want to get dolled up — not after everything today. But she wasn’t going to show up at the opera in her jeans and a cardigan.

Ethan was waiting in his Mercedes downstairs. She had risked him driving her to the apartment, and then stopping to let her get changed. She knew nobody would be home.

After quickly pinching her cheeks, and teasing her hair, Jordynne spritzed on some perfume to mask the smell of the hospital on her, before leaving the apartment in her kitten heels as fast as she could.

Her steps faltered as she rounded the corner outside of her building, and saw Ethan leaning against his black car. He had changed too — a dinner jacket was now covering the white button-up shirt he had worn to work today. The corners of his mouth turned up into a smile when he saw her, “You look nice.”

She felt her cheeks tinge pink, “Thanks. So do you. Do you keep a dinner jacket in your car or something?” She teased.

It was his turn to be embarrassed, as his smile turned sheepish and he scratched the back of his neck.

“Oh my god, I was joking. You actually do?”

“Well, I like to be prepared and this is a perfect example of why I do it.”

She laughed, “For emergency visits to the opera?”

“Yes. For emergency visits to the opera.” He rolled his blue eyes at her, before opening up the passenger door for her, “Get in the car, Jordynne.”

Her breath faltered a bit as he got into the driver’s seat. His scent was more apparent — the sandalwood and leather. Had he put on cologne? His hair seemed a little tidier too.

“Ready?” He questioned, catching her staring at him.

“Mhm,” She said quietly, nodding her head as she looked out the windshield and tried to focus on the road ahead of them.

The Boston Opera House was stunning. Jordynne had only ever walked passed it. Ethan let out a quiet chuckle as she looked around them in awe at the large chandeliers and gold details lining the ceiling.

She faltered a little as she felt Ethan place his large, warm hand onto the small of her back. “We’re just over here,” He gestured, before guiding her over a set of grand stairs.

The usher waved his arm, showing them into a private box, its walls and two close seats offering an intimate space. A gasp escaped Jordynne as she took in the breathtaking view of the stage. “You didn’t have to get us such fancy seats,”

Ethan chuckled again, “I didn’t. This is my box. It’s always waiting when I need it.” He shrugged nonchalantly.

“Wow…,” She looked around herself in awe as she moved towards the chairs,” Thanks so much for letting me come. These are great seats to see the opera for free. I feel so special.”

“No, thank you. I don’t frequently have the opportunity to attend, so I usually donate these.”

She raised her eyebrow at him, “Oh, in that case, I won’t feel special.”

He let out a warm laugh, “You can feel however you wish. I certainly don’t often invite…” He paused, “Companions to join me.” Ethan kept his hand on the back of Jordynne’s chair as she sat down, his hand brushing across the skin of her shoulder accidentally as he pulled away and sat down next to her. Their shoulders nearly touching.

The lights dimmed and the sounds of the orchestra beginning their overture filled the room. The red curtains pulled back to reveal a starry set. A woman stepped out into the light, her mournful voice filling the room as she began to sing in Italian.

Jordynne clasped her hands on her lap, awestruck as she listened to the beautiful song — but not understanding the words. “I wish I could understand her.” She muttered to herself.

Ethan shifted in his chair, leaning into Jordynne as he whispered to her, “That’s Alessandra, a young noblewoman engaged to marry an older man. But she’s in love with Damarion instead.” His face was so close to hers now, his cologne even more intoxicating than it was in the car. “What unknown emotion now fills me? I feel that my whole being is in the grip of love.” Ethan recites the line, translating the mournful, Italian lyrics for her.

“You speak Italian?” Jordynne whispered back, sounding a little breathless.

Even in the dim light, she watched him blush. “I taught myself a little. I’ve also seen this opera to many times to count.”

Ethan continued to narrate the story of the opera — Alessandra dying, Damarion searching the underworld for her until he finds her at last again, “She won’t go with him. She says he promised her a beautiful life together, but he was nothing but a liar…”

Images of Mrs. Martinez's face flashed into her head — and then Annie convulsing in her bed on her first day, the look of horror Dolores gave her during Jordynne’s diagnosis, the little boy as she referred him to oncology. Hot tears started to trickle down her cheeks, the water falling off of her face and onto her hands in her lap.

“Jordynne? Are you alright?” Twisting in his seat, he moved his face towards hers. His eyebrows furrowed in concern as he noticed her cheeks shining wet. He gently moved his thumb across her cheeks, brushing the tears away.

Reaching up, Jordynne grabbed onto his hand, her fingers tentatively brushing against his — asking silent permission. His blue eyes met her green ones in the darkroom — his eyes troubled and worried. But he interlaced his fingers with her easily — holding onto her tightly, their hands falling into his lap.

“What happens next?” She asked quietly — she wasn’t sure if she was asking about the opera or them.

Ethan swallowed, thinking. She could hear his breath was a little ragged, nervous in the intimate space. Licking his lips he finally spoke up, “Now, Alessandra is setting Damarion to a task. One to prove himself in the living world…” He continues to speak softly in her ear, describing as Damarion is slain and carried to the underworld, where he is finally reunited with his love among the dead.

Jordynne glanced up at Ethan as the audience bursts into applause and noticed in the light the glimmer of a tear in the corner of his eye. He wiped at it nonchalantly.

Without thinking about it, Jordynne leaned towards him. He turned to look over at her — his eyebrows furrowed as he studied her face. Moving forward, she gently pressed her lips to his. The applause thundered in her ears, but it was drowned out by the pounding of her heart as she felt Ethan kiss her back, deepening the kiss. Their fingers stilled laced together on his lap, his fingers squeezing hers.

“Jordynne…” He pulled away.

“I’m sorry, I—“ She closed her eyes, not wanting to see that look again. The one she was beginning to get all too familiar with. She didn’t want to have this discussion again — it killed her every time. She moved to take her hand back from his, feeling a little resistance as he held onto it for a moment longer until her hand was free. Standing up, she turned her back to him and leaned up against the railing of the private box.

“You know how complicated this is.”

Her body went on alert as she felt him step behind her. Turning around, he wasn’t very far from her — his eyebrows were furrowed in pain and longing, his blue eyes pleading.

“It’s not complicated, Ethan. Not for me.” She admitted, more tears welling up in her eyes, falling easily. Apparently, that’s all she could do today — was cry.

He raised his hand, brushing the lingering tears away from her face once more. Jordynne leaned into the feeling of his fingers on her face, pushing her face into his hand as he cupped her face.

“Dammit, Jordynne —“ His voice broke as his own tears welled up in the corners of his eyes. Moving his hand down, he grabbed onto her chin gently before pulling her face to his.

He kissed her softly, his lips moving over hers gently as his arms wrapped her into him easily. His fingers waved through her blonde hair as she circled her arms around his strong waist, her fingers grabbing onto the fabric of his suit jacket.

Even with the long, drawn-out kisses Jordynne finally felt like she could breathe again — the tightness in her chest suspending at the moment. Her heart thundering, her fingers winding into his clothes — anything to stay like this for as long as she could.

The house lights turning on broke the moment — and the pair pulled away reluctantly. His blue eyes stared at her pink lips hungrily — eyeing how the sensitive skin around her mouth was red from his rough stubble. “Come on, I — I should drive you home.”

The walked closely to his car, arms and fingers gently bumping into each other. It was casual enough, in case they saw someone they knew. But intimate enough for them to cause jolts of electricity to spread throughout Jordynne’s skin every time he touched her.

Ethan opened her door once again, before climbing into the driver’s seat afterward. The pair sat in silence for a moment — he didn’t reach to turn the car on, their seatbelts hanging off the sides of their seats. There was no music or light — they just sat in the silent, dark car — the streetlight from outside sending in a warm glow.

Then, within an instant, the pair turned to each other, pulling one another into the tight space of the car, the lips crashing onto each other once more. Ethan’s trained fingers went into her hair, tangling her blonde waves as he somehow pulled her more into him. Jordynne’s hands were on his chest and around his neck, feeling his warm skin and muscles, his hammering heart that was on pace with hers.

Ethan’s lips were fervent on hers, kissing her harder and deeper than he had in the Opera House. Her fingers traveled curled around his shirt, knotting in fists as she pulled him against her and he groaned softly.

Jordynne had never wanted anything so bad in her life. Everything about this, about him, was making her mind swirl and heart pound in her chest. His cologne, the smell of his shampoo, his soft, thick curls, his hard muscular chest. How he still tasted like coffee even though it had been hours since he had his last cup. How gentle and tender his kisses could be, and the powerful, deep ones he was giving her now. The dinner jacket he kept in his car. How he opened the door for her. His whispers in her ear as he translated Italian for her.

A sudden knock at the window caused them to freeze. Pulling his mouth away from hers, Ethan looked sheepishly over his shoulder to find a parking attendant with his arms crossed over his chest. The man pointed to his watch and then to the parking sign just in front of them.

“I suddenly feel like a high school senior again,” Ethan said, smiling sheepishly and he started searching in his jacket for his car keys.

The pair burst out laughing, running their hands through their disheveled hair and clothes.

As the engine roared to life, the pair glanced over at each other, noticing their swollen pink lips, their skin flushed and breath still a little ragged. Biting his lip, Ethan turned on the radio and started to drive.

Jordynne stared out the window, watching the city lights blur as Ethan drove down the downtown Boston streets. She rested her head on the glass, closing her eyes and humming along to the song on the radio for a moment — the events of the day finally catching up with her. Her fingers tensed up into a fist as her thoughts started getting the best of her.

She opened her eyes as she felt Ethan’s hand on hers — his fingers working through her fist and relieving the tension. He intertwined his fingers with hers easily before placing their hands onto her lap. Looking down at her hands, she couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face. Glancing over at Ethan, he was focused on the road — his other hand draped across the steering wheel. His jaw was set though — he was thinking, his eyebrow furrowed just the littlest bit.

As his Mercedes pulled up next to her building, Jordynne gulped. _What happens next?_

“Is it selfish that I don’t want tonight to end?” She asked quietly.

Ethan’s fingers squeezed around hers, “No… I’m not looking forward to facing reality tomorrow either.”

She reluctantly pulled her hand away from his, searching for her purse at her feet.

“Here, let me walk you to the door.” Ethan moved to take off his seatbelt, but Jordynne stopped him.

“It’s okay.”

“No, I insist—“

“Honestly, it will just make saying goodnight so much harder.” She bit her lip, her eyes lingering on his mouth.

Ethan nodded understandingly. He moved his hand off the steering wheel, gently pushing back a piece of her blonde hair behind her ear. His touch lingered, before moving down her jawline and grabbing her chin. Gently, he pulled her face to his — placing a soft, long kiss on her lips. She only got a moment to kiss him back, before he pulled away.

“Thank you for tonight, Ethan.” She said quietly, her hand grabbing the door handle.

He cleared his throat, a little nervous, “Did it help?”

“Get my mind off Mrs. Martinez? Not really.” When she saw his shoulders deflate, she quickly spoke again. “But I feel better, you know?”

A tender smile spread across his face, “I do. I’ll see you tomorrow, ok? No more guilt.”

“I’ll try.” She played with the hair that Ethan had tucked behind her ear. “Goodnight,” Opening the door, she stepped out into the cool night air. Taking the few steps to her building, she looked back to see Ethan still waiting, peering through the windshield. Unlocking the entryway door, she gave him a small wave before stepping inside. Watching the door close, she saw the black Mercedes speed away. 


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Rating: M (Swearing, Kissing, Alcohol Consumption) Warning: Themes of Alcoholism 
> 
> Word Count: 4800+
> 
> Description: Ethan faces reality after finally letting go and taking what he wants. Everything becomes too much for Jordynne, and she and Bryce get tangled up in knots. 
> 
> Disclaimer: Characters, storyline, and parts of the dialogue are taken from Pixelberry’s Choices. They fully own the characters, dialogue, backgrounds, etc. MC Jordynne’s background is my own creation, based loosely off of MC in-game’s personality and provided with more details.
> 
> Author’s Note: Is it too nerdy to admit that I cried while writing this chapter? This one scene has been in my brain FOREVER. Honestly, this chapter and the next few updates just get me right in the feels every time I read it. I have also been thinking of how to continue the story since I am nearing the end of the first book in-game. I really like staying closish to the game to provide more details and story and drama – but can I really wait until the next book comes out?!?!? So far away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters, storyline, and parts of the dialogue are taken from Pixelberry’s Choices. They fully own the characters, dialogue, backgrounds, etc. MC Jordynne’s background is my own creation, based loosely off of MC in-game’s personality and provided with more details.

A soft light trickled in through the curtains in Ethan’s apartment. He was sprawled out on his bed, arms and legs tangled in his sheets. Jenner was at his side — wrapped as close to his owner as he could be.

Ethan woke with a stir, slowly opening his eyes and blinking the sleep away. Letting out a large sigh, he

slid out of the bed. His dog jumped up excitedly as his owner left the room, padding towards the kitchen.

Still half-awake, Ethan turned on the coffee machine before looking around at his apartment. An empty bottle of scotch sat on his coffee table, with a near-empty tumbler next to it. He had gone for the bottle as soon as he had gotten home the night before — he had needed some way to cope with what he’d done.

Last night.

It had been — it had been the compilation of many days of wanting to do that. To recreate how they felt on that balcony in Miami. Ethan couldn’t help but touch his lips — recalling the feeling of Jordynne’s mouth on his last night.

He couldn’t help himself — the look on her face as he pulled away from her, once again. It killed him — he didn’t want to be the cause of that. Especially, when he wanted it too — so badly. It had felt so right, so _good_— the way she fit into his arms, how their lips met. It was like he was built for her — two pieces going together perfectly.

But then the night ended, and Ethan pulled away from her apartment and was left alone once more. Left to his own thoughts with her intoxicating scent stuck on his clothes and car…

He had no idea what he was going to do.

He had meant it when he said he hadn’t wanted to face the reality of today. As much as Jordynne denied it — it _was _complicated. It couldn’t be as easy as the movies, or any other couple out there. But he couldn’t help that flicker of hope and want and need.

Letting out another sigh, Ethan padded across his apartment collecting his things and getting ready for the day. Looking at his car keys, he thought better of it and decided today he needed a walk to untangle his thoughts before getting to the hospital. Another moment for his mind to keep whirling before going back to reality. He gave Jenner a final scratch on the ear before heading out and locking the door.

It was a clear morning — the sun already up, only a few clouds in the sky. Lost in thought, time seemed to fly by as he marched down the sidewalk — his hands in his pant pockets, eyebrows furrowed and blue eyes staring forward.

Once he found himself in his office, Ethan snapped back to reality.

The results.

He had completely forgotten. In the heat and passion with Jordynne, in worrying what was going to happen between them, he had forgotten about Naveen’s latest test results. Grabbing his lab coat off of the back of his door, he hurriedly put it on, pulling the sleeves over his button-up before racing out the door and into the white, sterile hallway.

Rushing to the nurse’s station, he found his mailbox and grabbed the stack of papers and clipboards sitting in his folder. Thumbing through them quickly, he searched for the familiar “Patient X” tag. Pulling the paper out, he felt his heart falter as he instinctually took in the results.

No.

_No, no, no, no, no._

His heart went from almost a standstill to a pounding in his chest — climbing up into his throat. The hallway around him suddenly disappeared — his senses numbing and the white hallway and the faces in it turning into a blur.

It was over. He failed.

It didn’t matter how many books he had written, or correct diagnosis he had made before. It didn’t matter that he went behind the Chief of Medicine’s back and kept a secret patient. None of it mattered anymore. He failed.

Naveen was going to die.

Ethan walked slowly down the hallway in a daze, not really sure where he was going.

“Dr. Ramsey?”

Just the sound of her voice was enough to take him over the edge. This wasn’t how any of this was supposed to go.

“Dr. Ramsey, can we talk? I need your help…” Her voice was quiet, unsure.

“Wonderful. Someone else I can disappoint.” He muttered, closing his mouth as he gritted his teeth.

“What? What are you talking about?” The blonde did her best to try and keep up with him, as he kept marching forward with his eyes glazed over.

“Ethan,… you’re scaring me.” She lowered her voice, grabbing onto his elbow to make him stop.

He gulped at the action — the familiar sensation of her warm fingers distracting him for a moment. “I’m scared too, Jordynne.” He croaked out.

Letting out a heavy sigh, he unfolded and stared her straight in the eye. “I’ve got Naveen’s latest test results back. He has a month to live.” Unable to look her in the eye any longer, he closed them — his face screwing up in pain. “I couldn’t do it — I couldn’t save him.”

“No…” Jordynne swallowed, her eyebrows furrowing as she processed, “No, Ethan, there must be —“

Ethan put his hand up, “Please. Don’t.” His voice was a defeated whisper. Reaching behind him he fumbled for the doorknob. He couldn’t do this – he couldn’t face her too.

Turning on his heel, Ethan marched into his office and closed the door behind him.

“Wait, Dr. Ramsey! Dr. Ramsey!”

Slumping to the ground, Ethan sat on the floor and leaned up against the door — his head falling back and resting on the hard surface. He did his best to control his breathing — the knot in his chest tightening. 

Jordynne’s voice muffled through the wooden door, and he heard the soft sound of her hand knocking on the door. “Ethan, please? Don’t shut me out.”

That did it. Hot tears escaped out of his eyes, running down his cheeks and dripping off of his chin. Moving his hands to his face, he buried it into them — muffling the sounds of his sobs.

* * *

Jordynne’s green eyes had flickered to the closed-door constantly over the next couple days. She had gotten all of her cases assigned to rooms near Ethan’s office.

She knew him — he wouldn’t ask for help, he would want to suffer alone. But he had never let her do that. He had been there to comfort her, to make it better. And she was going to do the same.

She had yet to see him — she assumed he had emerged from his office at some time. But she still hadn’t seen him. So she had come to work earlier than usual — slipping out the apartment before her roommates were even awake.

Quickly changing in the locker room, Jordynne stuffed her messenger bag into her locker before turning on her heel to search the halls for him.

She knew he would be here. He probably had barely gone home lately. It was killing her — but she couldn’t imagine how he felt.

Everything had felt so different on the night of the opera. It had taken her hours to fall asleep that night — as she imagined all the different ways the next day could go. If Ethan was going to pretend nothing had happened again. If he would take her into his office, closing the door behind them to give her more of his hot, gentle kisses. Never had what _really _happened cross her mind. She thought they had so much more time with Naveen — more theories to test, more pages of her notebook to fill.

She hadn’t even told him about the interviews, being assigned partners on her cases to watch her. The sabotage. Chief Emery. He had enough going on — he didn’t need that weight too.

Her stomach twisting with nerves, she rounded the corner into the new wing — her eyes searching for the familiar attending.

* * *

“Naveen… You and I have always trusted each other to do the… No, that’s not right.” Ethan shook his head at himself, his hands twisting together in front of him nervously.

“Dr. Ramsey?” The soft voice caused him to spin around quickly.

He looked up to Jordynne — suddenly very aware of his rough stubble and messy hair. He hadn’t gone home. Hell, he hadn’t even showered, let alone looked in a mirror.

“Hi.” He sounded a little breathless.

“Hi.” She did too.

“I have to tell Naveen that he has a month to live. And the moment he knows, he’ll leave the hospital. He didn’t want me to treat him in the first place.” Chewing his lip, he continued, “He joked that, if he couldn’t solve it himself, nobody could. I thought I could save him on my own… but maybe he was right.”

Jordynne stepped forward, her arms wrapped around her torso, “Do you want to let him leave?”

“God, no.” His eyebrows furrowed again, deep lines forming in his forehead, “I want to call in every doctor I know to help. Someone somewhere on this planet has to know how to fix this.”

His eyes met hers again — searching them. She would know what to do. Her moral compass always swung in the right direction. Even with Teresa — so idiotic for her self, but so kind for her patient.

“I think Dr. Banerji…,” She hesitates, licking her lips, “I think he should enjoy the time he has left, Ethan.”

His shoulders dropped. “Even if it means giving up on him?”

“If it’s what he wants… then yes.” She nodded sadly, “We have to respect that. Wouldn’t you want your doctor to listen to you?”

Taking a deep breath, he nodded. “You’re right. I have to do what’s best for _him_.” Swallowing hard, he opened his mouth to speak again, “He felt for Teresa — Mrs. Martinez. He told me that even if it was only for one day — that one day of freedom would make up for all the time they’ve spent in here. She said the same thing right?”

She winced slightly at Teresa’s name, but she nodded, “She did.”

“I’ve been holding him hostage in this damn wing for nothing.” He croaked, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Jordynne shook her head, “It hasn’t been for nothing.”

“It was inevitable. I just delayed it by a few months.”

“Naveen was the spark for a lot of things happening these last few months. Don’t — Don’t regret that.”

Ethan bit his lip as his blue eyes met hers. She was right. If Naveen hadn’t gotten sick where would they be? It was such a catalyst for everything — sharing that secret.

_“_Are you ready to tell him?” She asked gently.

He sighed, “As ready as I can be.”

Taking a step back, he hesitated for a moment. “Would you mind… coming with me?” He asked, his voice low and quiet.

“Me?” She seemed surprised.

“I know it’s a lot to ask, but… Naveen likes you. And… I don’t want to do this on my own._” I need you_. He finished the sentence in his head.

He watched her take a sharp breath, “Of course, Ethan. Anything.”

She followed him through the new wing, towards Naveen’s room. Falling into pace with him like usual — shoulder to shoulder.

Ethan stopped in front of Naveen’s room — the light from inside pouring out into the dim hallway. As he stood motionless, he felt Jordynne slip her fingers into his hand.

He swore she could read his mind at times.

He gripped them — using her as root, to keep him in place for a moment.

“I wish I could say something to make this easier for you.” She said softly, her thumb stroking his fingers.

A sad smile spread across his face as he met her eye, “You’re here. That makes it as easy as it’s going to get.”

Letting go of her hand was incredibly hard. Harder than he imagined it would be. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and stepped into the room.

It was just as white and sterile as always. Naveen was laying in the bed, the sheets folded carefully over him and his glasses sitting on his stomach next to his folded hands. At the sound of them entering, the old man put the glasses on and mustered a smile.

“Ah, my favorite and only—“ Naveen let out a hack, “Only companions! What can I provide today? More blood?” He coughed again, “Or perhaps its urine today?”

“Naveen.” That’s all he could muster out. Ethan’s throat tightened.

The old man looked between the two of them, his smile fading. “Ah… he can’t stop this, can he?”

“The new treatment didn’t hold.” Jordynne spoke up, stepping to the hold onto the railings at the edge of the bed, “Your organs are failing.” If she wasn’t diagnosing one of the most important people in his life as terminal he would have been proud. She really was a great doctor.

“I tried everything, Naveen.” Ethan finally admitted.

“I know you did, Ethan. Marvelous, isn’t it? After all this time, life still had a mystery the two of us couldn’t solve.” A half-hearted smile spread across his face. “Well then, how long do I have?” He was interrupted by more hacking coughs.

“A month.” Ethan croaked. “At best.”

The old man’s brow furrowed for a moment as he thought. Then he stood up out of his bed and leaned over to grab the clothes folded neatly beside him.

They watched in silence as he got dressed. But Ethan grabbed his vest before he could, holding it back from him. “Please… stay here.” He begged, “Let the other doctors examine you. Maybe they’ll see something I missed —“

“You never miss anything, Ethan.” He interrupted.

Anger flared through him, “Don’t you get it?! If you leave—“

But Naveen interrupted him again, grabbing into Ethan’s wrist gently, “If I leave, I’ll have a beautiful home on the river I’ve never spent more than 5 hours at a time in. Now, I finally get to spend a whole month there. If I die in the middle of a good book, or fishing, or painting, I’ll consider it an excellent way to go.”

He moved his hand forward, silently asking for his vest.

Ethan swallowed hard, his Adam’s able bobbing up and down.

“Wouldn’t you?”

He looked to Jordynne — who had been quiet since giving Naveen the news. His eyes searched hers — looking for the answer again. He could see her eyes welling with tears, how she was chewing her pink lip. She gave him the smallest of nods.

Ethan loosened the tight hold he had on the vest, letting Naveen take it from him. He finished getting ready and for a moment he looked like the normal Naveen. He didn’t look like the small, weak man in the bed anymore.

Naveen turned to Jordynne with a bright smile on his face. “It’s been an honor watching you work, Dr. Holland. You have a very promising career ahead of you. I hope you think of me during it, on the odd occasion.”

A tear rolled down her cheek, and she quickly swiped at it, “Dr. Banerji I’ll think of you all the time. I wish I had longer to learn from you.”

“But at least you had time to learn the most important lesson…” Gently, he ran his knuckle over her forehead with a smile, “No frowning. Your face will get stuck like that.”

A laugh escaped her mouth, and it made Ethan’s ears perk up for a split second. He hadn’t heard that sound in a while. A tender smile grew across his face as he watched them hug.

“That’s better.” Naveen teased, before looking over at the door. “Well then.”

The trio walked in silence down the halls. Jordynne fell in behind them, slowing her steps.

Doctors and nurses greeted Naveen, excited to see him in the hospital once again.

“Ah, yes, just a visit. A trip down memory lane!”

As they approached the doors leading outside, Ethan felt his throat closing up. He didn’t want to do this. He couldn’t do this. What was he supposed to just say goodbye?

Ethan coughed as they all stopped outside. He held out his hand to Naveen. “Well, I suppose this is —“

Naveen scoffed, pushing away his extended hand and wrapping him in a hug. Ethan let out a breath, before wrapping his arm around the old man — squeezing him back. His eyes twisted shut hard, trying to keep the tears at bay.

“Take care, Ethan. Live well.”

“I will.”

As he pulled out of the embrace, Ethan caught the wink he flashed to Jordynne. “Keep an eye on him for me, Jordynne.”

“Yes, Doctor.”

The pair watched as he waved down a cab, and they watched the yellow car disappear from sight. Once again. Gone.

“Did I do the right thing, Jordynne?”

“You did what you had to, for your friend.”

He looked down at her intently — “I hope you’re right.”

Their arms wrapped around each other, Jordynne pulling him into her tightly. He leaned into her — wrapping his hands around her waist, putting some of his weight into her.

Ethan looked down at her face — her big green eyes filled with worry, her freckled nose crinkled. The few blonde fly-aways already falling out of her ponytail, framing her face.

He wished he could be what she needed right now. He wished he could give her what she wanted.

But he wasn’t the doctor she thought he was. Hell, he wasn’t the man she thought he was. He wasn’t sure what it was about the Dr. Ramsey she saw him as. But whatever made this striking woman fall for him — but he didn’t actually have it. 

There were so many things he wanted to say. But he didn’t know how.

It will be better this way. Lonelier — but better. She deserved better. The hospital, the patients — they deserved better.

As his mind was wheeling, Jordynne fluttered her eyes closed and pressed her soft pink lips to his. He let himself relish in the moment — taking her bottom lip into his. People could be watching — patients, co-workers, hell probably Harper. But he didn’t know when he’d do this again — hell if he would be able to do it again. So he did his best to memorize the way she tasted, the feeling of her fingers knotting into the front of his lab coat. The salty taste of tears entered his mouth, and he realized he was crying.

Moving his mouth, he kissed the corner of her mouth, her chin before pressing soft kisses to her soft, tan neck. He lingered there — burying his face into the crook of her neck, inhaling her vanilla scent, feeling the thrumming of her pulse.

“I’m so sorry, Ethan,” Jordynne whispered into his ear, her lips brushed the sensitive skin before playing a quick peck there.

Realizing he couldn’t keep her there forever, he moved out of her arms — coughing slightly as he attempted to regain composure. “Thank you for helping me does this.”

“No thanks necessary. I care about you, Ethan.”

His heart squeezed, his eyes softening as he took her in again, “I know.” His fingers brushed hers as he reached out — just one more time.

She chewed her lip, “So what now? Do we just go back to our patients like nothing happened?”

He let out a loud breath through his nose, “No. We don’t.” Grinding his back molars, Ethan mustered all he could and marched back into the hospital. Jordynne quickly followed — both of them walking side by side.

Harper saw them the second they walked in, and Ethan noticed her eyes. She looked the pair of them up and down, her eyebrows raising in surprise.

He was going to do it right now then.

“Ethan!” She walked over to them, the click of her heels echoing in the atrium, “Someone just told me they saw Naveen outside? Is he coming back to work?”

“No. He’s gone…” Ethan’s voice cracked. “And so am I.” Digging into his front pocket, he unclipped his ID badge and forced it into Harper’s hands. “I’m done.”

Harper’s eyes went wide, confusion crossing her face as she looked down at the piece of plastic in her hands. She stared at it in stunned silence.

Jordynne however, did not stay silent. “What? You’re quitting?” Her pink mouth was open in shock, her hand reaching out to grab onto him.

He moved his arm out of the way slightly, avoiding her touch as he started for the front doors. The blonde moved in front of him — trying to block his exit.

“Wait! You can’t just leave.” She begged, putting her hand out.

“Let me through.” He said quietly, avoiding her eyes.

“But people need you… I need you.” She grabbed onto his hand, her eyes pleading, “Ethan, I need you.”

Fresh tears formed again — his blue eyes rimmed red from all the crying. He shook his head pathetically. “I’m not the doctor you thought I was. It’s time we both accepted that.” Pulling his hand free, Ethan turned on his side and slipped past her.

Ethan’s breath quickened as he walked away from the hospital — his heart pounding in his ears, his chest tightening.

“Ethan!” A voice called out, still heard over the pedestrians and traffic outside. “Ethan!”

Don’t look back.

He started weaving through the crowd of people, getting lost in the many pedestrians until he knew he would be too far — lost amongst the people. Ducking his head, he wiped at the tears stuck on his cheek.

As he walked away from everything he knew, his hands started trembling. Shoving them in his pockets, his eyes searched around him for a familiar store.

Ducking inside, the bell in the liquor store dinged to announce his presence. It had just opened and the cashier gave him a sad smile as he watched him step in at ten in the morning.

Swallowing hard, Ethan asked gruffly, “Scotch?”

The employee shuffled over to some shelves, pointing out a few selections.

Ethan’s stormy eyes stared at the bottles — he needed to cope somehow. There wasn’t any at home — he had finished that after his night with Jordynne.

He was feeling everything right now. It was too much. He just needed to be numb. “Yeah, I’m going to need a case of those.” He pointed to the amber bottles, before pulling out his black credit card.

* * *

Walking down the white, sterile hallway Jordynne felt numb. He was just gone. Just like that.

Her mind reeled with things she could have said — things she could have done differently.

She had wanted to keep following him down that sidewalk. She had tried — calling after him. But as she watched him stalk away, Chief Emery had called out after her — asking if she was going to quit on her too. It had taken everything in her to remain composed — to not burst out crying in front of her.

Now, Jordynne wasn’t sure why she didn’t quit. Why she didn’t join him — tossing away the plastic ID that was consuming her life. It would be easier.

How was she supposed to do this? How was she supposed to be a good doctor right now?

Lost in her own thoughts, she didn’t notice him in time and bumped into Bryce turning the corner.

“Whoa!” He said, grabbing onto her shoulder with his strong hands, steadying her. His face fell as he looked at her, “Jordynne, are you ok?”

Her chin trembled as she looked up at him, doing her best to keep water forming in her eyes, “No.” She chewed her pink lip, looking down at the floor.

“Do you want to talk about it?” He asked, his hand giving her a reassuring squeeze.

“Not here.”

Bryce led her into the on-call room, not bothering to switch on the lights as he directed her to the bottom bunk of one of the beds. Wrapping his arm around her shoulder, he pulled her into him. They sat there for a moment in silence — Bryce waiting for Jordynne to speak.

“I can’t stop thinking about…” Her voice cracked, “About everything. Poor Mrs. Martinez and the investigation into her death… Wondering if I’ll still have a career at the end of the week… Wondering if I even deserve one.” She bowed her head as she kept rattling off the things plaguing her mind, the tightness in her chest increasing, “My first patient Annie, and Dolores, and that cop who died in the OR, and my oncology referral, and Dr. Banerji’s diagnosis, Dr. Ramsey quitting the hospital, being sabotaged at every turn, and now this sweet, sick kid I can’t diagnose.” Tears were streaming down her cheeks, “I feel like everything is crashing around me.”

Bryce tenderly moved a piece of her blonde hair out of her eyes, before using his knuckle to wipe away a few tears, “Why didn’t you say anything?” He asked softly.

“Because good doctors can handle whatever’s thrown at them. And I _really _want to be a good doctor.” She knitted her fingers together into a knot on her lap — doing her best to keep her breathing normal.

“You’re already a good doctor. Hell, you’re the best medical intern in the hospital.”

“Don’t think I didn’t notice you qualified that to just the medical interns.”

He flashed her a cheeky smile that made her heart squeeze, “To be honest, you’re better than most of the surgical interns, too.”

Jordynne let out a sigh and leaned her head onto his muscular shoulder. “I don’t know if I can keep doing this. It’s all too much. If Ethan Ramsey quit, what chance do I have?”

“Hey. You can do this.” He squeezed her leg, dipping his head so he could look at her. Jordynne finally looked up at him — his brown eyes were dark and intense. “It’s wild to me that you don’t realize how great you are.” He reaches out, his fingers grabbing onto her chin.

“Bryce…”

Before she could say anything else, he dipped his face towards her and pressed a soft kiss on her mouth.

Jordynne’s breath hitched at the feeling — it had been a few weeks since they had kissed. In the chaos of her life, she had let him take the back burner. And she was confused. And afraid.

He pulled her closer, turning the kiss urgent — his arms winding tightly around her. Her hands went into his hair — letting go for a moment as his tongue found hers in the dark on-call room, their bodies pressing into each other.

When she tasted the salty water of her tears in her mouth she was reminded of just a few hours ago. The kiss she had outside with Ethan — how different it was. How raw and deep her kiss with Ethan was. Everything is made her feel.

_What was she doing?_

Putting her hands on Bryce’s chest, she pulled away, “I — I can’t do this. I’m sorry.” She whispered, fresh tears forming again.

“Don’t be sorry.” He whispered back, maneuvering them back so they were sitting on the bed. “I just miss you.” He said, a sad smile spreading across his face.

“Yeah, me too.” She pulled her knees up into her chest, hugging them tightly to her body.

They sat there in silence once more, before Bryce’s honeyed voice broke it.

“You like him, don’t you?“

Her breath stopped. “What?”

“Ramsey? You like him, don’t you?” He moved his tan face, his eyes studying her.

“I don’t want to.” Her voice was barely a whisper.

She watched his Adam’s apple moved as he swallowed, “But you do?”

“I do.” A hot tear flashed across her face, and she wiped at it with the back of her hand, “Bryce, I’m really sorry.”

His eyebrows furrowed a little, “What are you apologizing for?”

“You don’t deserve any of this. You deserve so much better than this.” Jordynne hiccuped.

“Hey, I knew what we agreed too. We said no strings.” He shrugged, before looking back at her. His brown eyes crinkled a little.

“Yeah, and instead I twisted us up into a knot.”

He gave her a sad smile, using his thumb to wipe her tear away again.

“I don’t know what happens now.” She said quietly, her voice gruff from all of the crying.

“Me neither.” He let out a breathy laugh. “But — you’re my best friend in here Jordy. Nothing will change that.”

Jordynne couldn’t think of anything to say and instead wrapped her arms around his midsection, her head laying on his lap as she hugged sitting down. “You’re too good for this world, Bryce Lahela.” She finally croaked. “You’re my best friend too.” Her eyes fluttered closed as she felt him lean over and kiss her blonde hair.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Rating and Warning: T (Swearing, alcohol consumption, surgery)
> 
> Word Count: 6300+
> 
> Description: Tragedy strikes Boston when a subway line derails, and Jordynne has to face it without her favorite Attending while he is off “coping”. 
> 
> Disclaimer: Characters, storyline, and parts of the dialogue are taken from Pixelberry’s Choices. They fully own the characters, dialogue, backgrounds, etc. MC Jordynne’s background is my own creation, based loosely off of MC in-game’s personality and provided with more details.
> 
> Author’s Note: I DID IT. The longest update of my life. My laptop gave me so many issues, and essentially it has turned into an editing only machine now :( I have also struggled a lot with posting anxiety. 
> 
> Thank you to the mutuals for checking in on the fic and for giving me inspiration to finish! You know who you are <3
> 
> ALSO, I changed up the diamond scene with Bryce – It is a cute scene going go-karting, but I just felt that realistically MC would be so exhausted after the day she had, so I changed it up. And my fic was already at 6k… so I skipped the dinner with Raf. But it is definitely is implied at happening!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters, storyline, and parts of the dialogue are taken from Pixelberry’s Choices. They fully own the characters, dialogue, backgrounds, etc. MC Jordynne’s background is my own creation, based loosely off of MC in-game’s personality and provided with more details.

Cape Cod was beautiful this time of year. The sand was as golden and soft as brown sugar. An orange glow casting through white fluffy clouds, and the soft caw of seagulls and waves crashing could be heard down the beach.

Though Ethan Ramsey really couldn’t appreciate it.

He was sitting on the painted porch of his small beach house, his head lolling back against the lounge chair he was in. A tumbler was tightly gripped in his hand, the smallest amount of amber liquid remaining in it. Jenner was laying loyally at his feet — his little body moving up and down as he slept. 

His mind wasn’t swirling at the moment — a consequence of the copious amounts of alcohol Ethan had been pumping into his body over the last few days. He had stayed sober long enough to drive his Mercedes the one and a half-hour drive to Cape Code, before fumbling with the cap of yet another bottle and pouring yet another glass.

He had needed to escape the city. His phone was continuously ringing and vibrating with messages, a few buzzes at his apartment door.

Harper was being insistent — demanding to know when he was coming back, what set this all off. Ethan had finally caved and answered her call long enough to tell her that he wasn’t going to be in the city and to leave him the fuck alone.

Naveen had called to let him know that he had settled in at his house. He could barely stand the thought of him all alone up there.

And Jordynne. He couldn’t answer her calls. Just the look on her face was still haunting him, her calling out after him. He couldn’t even imagine what she had to say to him right now — he had thought of too many versions in his head by now and had no idea what the real one would even be.

All at once Ethan felt exhausted — completely drained from the past few days. The crying and kissing and goodbyes and more crying and drinking. It was all too much. His stormy eyes fluttered closed right there on the porch.

His phone buzzed on the quartz countertop inside. The muted TV played images of a flustered news anchor and a crashed subway.

* * *

Jordynne and Jackie glanced at each other nervously, taking a deep breath before nodding at each other.

_Okay. Let’s do this._

“Work fast! Those people are counting on you!” Zaid shouted over his shoulder, before turning to hand out more triage tags.

Jackie sprinted towards a howling woman quickly, leaving Jordynne with an unconscious young man and a quiet woman bent over herself. Moving over to the woman, Jordynne eyed the unconscious man in the gurney before focusing her attention on her new patient.

She squirmed and moaned from the pain.

“Hello, ma’am. My name is Dr. Holland. Can you tell me your name?” Jordynne did her best to keep her voice steady, pulling on a pair of rubber gloves as she spoke.

The woman looked up at her through her black fringe — her face covered in dirt and blood. “Tamara,” Her voice was barely a whisper.

Grabbing the sharpie from her lanyard, Jordynne scribbled it onto one of the triage booklets. “Can you tell me why you’re whispering, Tamara?”

“Hurts…” She wheezed out, gesturing to her stomach. Holding up a gloved hand, the young doctor asked silent permission before pressing her hand lightly to her stomach. The patient gasped in agony.

Jordynne took in a deep breath, her mind whirling. _Stomach is distended, but rock hard. Internal bleeding. A lot of it. And fast._

Jordynne called out, “Dr. Mirani! This woman needs immediate surgery. She’s bleeding into her abdomen!” 

He shook his head, his eyes filled with worry. “Tag her, get her somewhere safe. The surgeons will be with her as soon as they’re available.”

“But…”

“This is triage, Holland. I know you want to stay and help, but you have to assess and move on. More patients are on the way.”

“Yes, Doctor.” Furrowing her brow, she tore the other tags away, leaving her name and red tag showing. Helping her into a bed that was visible from the OR door. “Someone will be with you soon, Tamara. Focus on breathing, okay?”

The woman nodded profusely, her eyes brimming with tears.

“Good work, Holland. Let’s keep going.”

Remembering the unconscious young man in the gurney, Jordynne sidled up next to him as she heard furious footsteps.

Sienna whirled past the pair, her hands pressed to the bleeding chest of an older man. “I’ve got your sir!” She said, her eyebrows set in determination.

Grabbing the flashlight pen from her chest pocket, Jordynne shined the light into the unconscious patient’s eyes — his pupils don’t budge.

Pressing her trained fingers to her neck, she felt a shallow pulse — barely there. “Come on, man. Show me something.” She muttered to herself, grabbing a cuff from the sidewall — she tested his blood pressure. It was low — too low to sustain brain function. Grinding her molars, Jordynne scribbled John Doe onto a black triage tag. “I’m sorry — whoever you are.”

Suddenly, more doctors poured into the ER — grabbing triage tags and assigning themselves to patients quickly. Even Chief Emery rushed in — her hair pulled back into a quick bun, her silver hoops shining.

A nurse called out to Emery. “Chief Emery! Should we call Dr. Ramsey? We could use the help!”

“He’s not even in the city right now… But we can handle this. Stay focused.” Her voice was strong, determined.

Jordynne froze at the mention of Ethan — standing still for a moment in the middle of the chaos. Jackie’s brown hand found her shoulder, shaking her back to reality, “Keep moving, Jordynne.”

Turning around she saw a middle-aged man with a pale face, clutching his arm. “What’s your name, sir?”

“M—Manuel.” He stammered. His shirt was covered in blood, a cut just above his eye had blood running from it still.

Changing her gloves, she put some pressure on the wound, “I’m Dr. Holland. I’m going to need you to tell me where it hurts, Manuel.”

“I was with my daughter. She was trapped… I begged them not to take me without her…”

Jordynne noticed his anxiety — he wasn’t going to be concerned about his health. She needed to distract him, get him talking and calm down. “What’s her name?”

“Lucia.” He breathed.

“Lucia’s in really good hands, Manuel. The paramedics are doing their best to get her out and safely to the hospital. And I need to do my best to make sure you’re safe and well enough to hug her when she gets here. Okay?”

“O-Okay.” He nodded, starting to calm down.

“Holland! What are you doing? Keep up the pace, a lot more people need you!”

Her jaw set in a hard line, before she let out a deep breath, “Manuel, can you tell me where it hurts?”

“It’s just my arm,” He held it up with his other hand, “I think I broke it when I hit a handrail.”

Gently feeling his arm, Jordynne located a minor fracture. Grabbing her sharpie again, she scrawled his name on yet another triage tag and statused him green. “You might be waiting in the atrium a while, but someone will look at your arm and stitch up those cuts as soon as they’re free.” 

“When Lucia turns up, you have to get me, okay? I have to see her.” His eyes were filling with tears, panicking starting to rise in his voice again.

“I will. I promise.”

Each patient got harder and harder — their pain and anxiety whiplashing Jordynne.

“You’re not in immediate danger. Relax and let me work.” Landry said next to her during one of her patients — cold and calculating. He whirled through the assessments like a robot — ignoring the patient’s tears and cries.

Jordynne locked her jaw again as she overhead him — how he was treating the patients, how he had treated her. All of them were just a means to an end for Landry — something along the way to get him to what he wanted.

It made her sick thinking of what he had done — the patients he had potentially put at risk, hiding those charts and turning off her pager. All for a stupid competition.

Closing her eyes for a moment, Jordynne changed her rubber gloves once again. She could feel her fingers trembling, her heart pounding in her ears. _What was she doing here?_

Opening her green eyes, she moved towards the next patient.

* * *

Jordynne was sitting in the cold stairwell — leaning against the wall as she sat on the very first step. She was taking a break — a forced break. Zaid had pushed her pink water bottle into her hand, gently telling her that she needed to rest. Eventually, she had agreed and she found herself in the quiet corner of the hospital — away from prying eyes and ears.

Taking out her phone, she quickly responded to a few messages from her family, asking if she was okay.

She wasn’t. So she lied.

Scrolling through her contacts, her thumb hesitated over his name before she finally clicked it.

The sound of the phone ringing echoed in the concrete stairwell.

“Please pick up. Pick up. Pick up.” She muttered to herself.

_Dr. Ethan Ramsey. You know what to do._

The sound of his voicemail hit her ears again — causing her shoulders to drop. Of course, he hadn’t picked up. He hadn’t picked up over the last few days — why would he now.

His voicemail beeped at her.

“Ethan, it’s Jordynne.” She played with her ponytail nervously as she spoke, “I know you’re not answering your calls or texts and you’re probably already deep into like your third bottle of scotch by now… But there was a really bad accident on the subway, and I know Ethan Ramsey would never take the subway in his life, and I overheard Chief Emery say you were out of town but I just really need to know if you’re okay. Please. Tell anyone… it doesn’t have to be me. Please, Ethan.”

With trembling hands, she put her phone back in her pocket. She put her head in her hands, staying there with her eyes closed for a moment — suddenly overwhelmed.

“Dr. Holland?” The stairwell door squeaked open, and a soft voice called out. Jordynne wiped at the tears brimming in her eyes, before turning around.

Nurse Mahiri gave her a sad smile, “Sorry, your patient in 517 is asking for you.”

Letting out a sigh, she moved her hands to her knees and pushed herself up, “Right. Back to reality.”

* * *

In a blur of patients, and father/daughter reunions, and mild panic attacks, Jordynne found herself scrubbed in and standing over the operating table. She did her best to stare anywhere but at the vulnerable body below her. Rafael. Her breath sounded loud and frantic behind her surgical mask — _God, what was she doing?_

Jordynne gulped as she watched Chief Harper make a long incision across his abdomen. _This was too much. What was she doing in here?_

“Clamp.”

She handed her the tool silently, watching her work on her friend’s exposed body.

“Suction.”

“Yes, doctor.” She did as she was told, placing the suction cup into the open cavity, cleaning it to give Harper a better view of the damage. She did her best to keep her breath under control — the pounding in her ears echoing.

“Thank you, Holland. Do you see it, Dr. Lahela?”

“There’s a lot of damage to his spleen and kidneys.”

“Good eye. Let’s get to work.”

Jordynne became mesmerized by the two surgeons — watching them work so skillfully. Both of their eyes were shining as they made complicated incisions and stitches, working diligently side by side. Gratefully taking the distraction of watching them working, forgetting momentarily of the anxiety and worry she was feeling over her comrade.

“Suction.”

Suddenly, a geyser of fluid came out of the cavity. “His appendix just burst!”

“Dammit. I can’t get to it right now, can you?” Harper gestured to the tools in her hands.

Bryce shook his head, “Not without giving up on this kidney.”

They both stared at Jordynne.

“Okay… Holland, you need to remove his appendix.”

Jordynne’s green eyes turned wide. “What?”

“Calm down. Just follow my instructions and you’ll do fine.”

Her heart was pounding in her ears as she listened to Emery’s instructions — making the incisions carefully.

“Oh god, I’m actually doing surgery.”

“Welcome to the big leagues, Jordy.” She could hear Bryce’s smile in his voice, despite the mask covering his mouth.

“Locate the appendix.”

Jordynne’s fingers gently wrapped around the organ, and she couldn’t help but look up at her friend’s face — bruised and bloodied, put peaceful under the anesthesia.

“Feel for the opening of the appendix, and place a staple to seal it from the intestine.” Jordynne did what she was told, and looked back up to the Chief with a giant gulp.

Her eyes were filled with approval, “Good job, Holland. That should buy us a few minutes.”

Bryce gave her an encouraging nod, “Okay, now I’m going to need you to help me with this kidney. I’m going to need you to train a light just here…” He grabbed onto her hand gently, moving the light into just the right spot. His hands were warm through the latex gloves. “Good, that’s it. Now keep this area suctioned. Repairing this valve is delicate work…” His brown eyes were darker than usual — training onto the careful work he was doing.

After a few more harrowing minutes, Bryce lets out a huge sigh of relief. “The kidney’s stable.”

Harper glanced up from her work, her mask pulling as she smiled, “Excellent work, Lahela. I know surgeons with ten years on you that couldn’t pull that off.”

Bryce’s eyebrows moved up into his blue cap, “I’m glad that it’s up to your standards, Dr. Emery.”

“Alright, Lahela, finish removing the appendix. Holland, over here.”

The hours crawled by — many bags of blood replaced, Jordynne’s feet were starting to ache. But her mind was spinning at least — she was focused on the surgery and Rafael. Nothing else mattered at that moment.

Finally, they all stepped back as the irrigation proved successful.

“We did it!” Bryce let out, his fist-pumping up in front of him.

“Yes, we did. Lahela, that was incredible.” She gave him a stern nod, “And Holland, I have to say, I’m impressed. Not many doctors could step up like you just did.”

Jordynne’s eyebrows furrowed, noticing the look in Chief Emery’s eye — “I’m just happy Rafael’s okay.”

“Without you, he might not have been. You should be proud of the work you did today.” Her face was unreadable.

Suddenly, the door to the OR opened, and another surgeon stood in the frame, “Dr. Emery, do you have a spare set of hands?”

“Take Dr. Lahela,” Harper jerked her head over to him, “He’s done some excellent work today.”

Bryce gave Jordynne a quick wink, as he threw away his gloves and headed towards the next OR. “I’ll see you in a bit, Jordy.”

Emery continued to instruct Jordynne as they finished closing Rafael back up — the room returning to silence as they worked. Jordynne could feel anxiety creeping up again — suddenly very aware of being completely alone with Chief Emery.

“I know you did it, Holland.” Harper broke the silence.

Jordynne looked up, meeting her dark eyes — doing her best to keep her face neutral.

“And what’s more, I know why you did it. Mrs. Martinez was a wonderful woman. If I’d met her when I was young and idealistic, I’d have been tempted to break the rules for her, too.”

She looked up at her, her mind whirling — but said nothing.

Emery let out a sigh at Jordynne’s silence, “I know you want to save everyone. Many doctors do. I did once before I was an administrator. But since I’ve grown familiar with the realities of this life. And the reality is that you can’t. I regret that you’re learning that lesson the hard way.” She gave her head a shake.

Jordynne gulped before speaking, “I heard there was no evidence it happened.”

Putting down the suture tool on the tray, she didn’t look up to her as she spoke, “There’s always evidence. And I will find it.”

She let out a breathy laugh, “You want me gone that badly?”

“No. I wanted to see you build on your potential and become a great doctor. But it’s too late for that. And I call I can do is use your mistakes to show your fellow doctors that rules exist for a reason and that every decision has a cost. Unfortunately, your decision is one that may cost you your future…” Taking off her rubber gloves, Harper headed over to the sink, “We’re done in here, you can scrub down.”

Taking a large gulp, Jordynne did as she was told.

* * *

Leaning up against the hallway wall, Jordynne put her head back and closed her eyes. She was back in her another pair of blue scrubs — cleaned up from the surgery. She was just around the corner from Rafael’s room — taking a breather.

She had just had her hands inside another human — no, not just another human, her friend. Relief had washed over her once they said the surgery was successful and he would be okay. But the anxiety had crept back up as she waited for him to awake.

_God, what a day._

Digging in her pocket, she pulled out her phone. Her eyes raked through her notifications — mom, dad, Jason, Kenzie, roommate group chat (minus Landry)… But no Ethan.

Chewing her lip, she clicked on his name once more and put the phone to her ear.

_Dr. Ethan Ramsey, you know what to do._

Jordynne let out a long breath, not bothering to say hi or her name. “I’m really torn between wanting to talk to you so badly and wanting to get over you. Maybe if I — no, if I heard your voice it would probably just make things worse. I like the sound of your voice so much, I hate it.

I don’t know what I’m doing anymore, Ethan. I— I really needed you today. And I know a good doctor wouldn’t admit that, and I need to do this on my own. And I needed you as more than just a mentor. I really, really hope you’re okay Ethan. ‘Cause I’m not.” Her voice broke.

She trailed off, her eyebrows furrowing as she closed her eyes, “I don’t mean to put that on you. I know — I know you have enough going on. I’ll stop — Just don’t do anything stupid. Please.”

Ending the call, she felt a hot tear run down her cheeks as she shoved the phone back in her pocket. And all at once, she felt so alone. And it had nothing to do with the empty hallway.

* * *

Later that night, the hospital was finally calm — the hallways no longer filled with lingering families and patients without beds. Jordynne had perched awkwardly in the chair next to Rafael’s bed — her knees pulled up to her chest and head resting on her shoulder. Her green eyes were fluttering as she fought off sleep.

“Unhhh,” The sound caused her to sit up. Opening her eyes wider, she noticed Rafael stirring.

“Raf! You’re awake!” She moved her legs back down, pulling her chair closer to his bed.

“Mmff…,” He blinked slowly, “I think… so? Jordynne?”

She grabbed onto his tan hand, a rush of relief waving over her to see his eyes open.

“Yeah, it’s me.” A small smile spread across her face, “Do you remember what happened?”

His dark brow furrowed, “I was at work? There was a subway… subway thing?” Looking down at his bandages, he spoke again, “I guess I was hurt?”

“Yeah. You saved a young girl’s life.”

A weak smile spread across his face. “Is she okay?”

Jordynne nodded, “A twisted ankle, and a few scratches. She’s back with her dad. She’ll be fine.”

“Good.” Confusion spread across his face as he felt the bandages on his torso again, “Did — did I have surgery?”

“You had major surgery. And surgical was short-staffed, so I had to help.” She grimaced, remembering the sensation of feeling his appendix with her own hands.

“Hold on. You mean you were, uh… in here?” He gestured to his bandages, his eyebrows raised.

“Yeah. Wrist deep, actually.” She pursed her lips and scrunched her nose.

A laugh escaped him before he winced and grabbed his stomach, “Well, that’s intimate.”

She rolled her eyes, “Bryce was there too if that does it for you. But don’t laugh. You’ll pop a stitch.”

The room turned quiet, and Jordynne stared down into her hands, “I keep thinking about how your face looked when you came in…” Tears welled up in her mind as images of him first being rolled into the E.R. and the surgery flashed into her mind. “You can’t keep doing this to yourself.”

A line formed in-between his brows, “What? My job?”

She shook her head at him, “It’s not your job to die for your patients.”

“But it is my job to save them.” He said matter of factly.

Letting out a sigh, she repeated the advice Ethan had given her. “You can’t save everyone.”

“I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night if I didn’t at least try. And I know you’re the same — I know what you’re like with your patients.” He grabbed onto her hand tighter, gripping her fingers. 

“I don’t put my life at risk Raf. What if trying kills you?” Tears welled up in her eyes, and she did her best to keep them from falling.

His dark eyes noticed the tears forming, and he gave her a sad smile, “Then I’ll die well. I am who I am, Jordy. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Letting out an exasperated sigh, she looked over her shoulder and noticed Bryce through the window. He waved through the glass, giving her a tight-lipped smile.

Rafael noticed Bryce and beckoned him in.

Taking her hand away from him, Jordynne stood up just as Bryce entered the room.

“Hey, bud. How are you feeling?” Bryce asked, his voice more quiet than usual.

“Good, all things considered.” He pointed down at his bandages, “Jordynne told me that you had a lot to do with this. So, thank you.”

“Now I can tell people I saved Superman.” He flashed him a smile, before turning over to Jordynne. “Do you mind if I steal your doting Doctor away?”

Licking his lips, Rafael nodded. “Of course.”

“I’ll be back in a bit,” Jordynne said, grabbing onto the edge of the door and heading out with Bryce into the hallway. The lights were dimmed down — she could see the downtown lights of Boston through the window at the end of the hall.

“Hey.” Bryce breathed out, catching her eye finally.

“Hey.” She met his eye, studying his face, “You look exhausted. Have you been in surgery this whole time?”

He let out a breathy laugh, flashing her a smile, “I’ve been on three more since I saw you last. Today’s been — insane.”

“It sure has,” She rubbed at her face — not able to match his energy.

“Hey, don’t worry. I looked over Rafael’s vitals… he’s doing great. Barring any complications, he’ll make a full recovery. Superman’ll be back throwing himself into burning buildings and saving kittens from trees in no time.”’

Wrapping her arms around her torso, she looked down at the ground, “That’s great news, Bryce.”

“Man, talking about looking exhausted.” He eyed the dark circles under her eyes, “When did your shift end?”

Looking down at her smartwatch, she heaved out a sigh, “Two hours ago?”

“Yeah, mine too. You should head home.” He rubbed her shoulder.

“I’m not sure I want to do that…”

He nodded in understanding, “Then let’s get outta here and find something fun to do. With everything that’s been going on, I know I could blow off some steam. I’m guessing you could too.”

She chewed her pink lip, “Today has been pretty stressful…”

“And I know just the cure for that.”

Jordynne raised her eyebrow, questioning.

“It doesn’t have to be _that._ Unless you want it to be.”

Jordynne didn’t know how to reply — her mind already whirling from the day, never mind with the complex situation that had arisen between the pair of them. She hugged her torso a little tighter.

Looping his arm around her, he started pulling her down the hallway, “Come on, I know exactly what you need.”

Ten minutes later, she found herself sitting outside of a small restaurant on cheap patio furniture. She was picking at the large plate of cheese fries sat between the two of them.

“Elijah told me about Landry. I really didn’t have him pegged as that kind of guy.” Bryce said as he put a large fry in his mouth.

Jordynne played with the straw of her drink, not looking up, “Me neither.”

He shook his head, his blonde highlights falling over his face, “What kind of person can just lie like that?” His face twisted in disgust.

“… Me?” Jordynne said, her voice cracking. Looking back down at the table, she started chewing the inside of her lip harder than before.

His eyebrow’s furrowed in confusion, “What? No way! You’re lying to protect yourself!”

She shrugged, “Maybe he was, too.”

She finally caught his eye — his golden-brown eyes were crinkled with worry. “Well, I was _trying _to make you feel better, and I can see I’ve done a terrible job.”

“No, Bryce, you’re great.” She sighed, feeling guilty, “I just wish I knew if I was going to survive this investigation. All of this waiting and dreading… it’s killing me.”

He pushed the plate of food in between them away and grabbed her hand, “You will. I know you will.”

“Bryce… this is a situation where confidence won’t help me.”

His fingers gripped onto hers tighter, and flashed her his megawatt smile, “Sorry, confidence is pretty much all I have on tap.”

Her mouth twitched, “If I get through this with my career intact … and that’s a big _if_… I’m gonna play by the rules from now on.”

His touch on her loosened, and he looked taken aback, “You don’t mean that, do you?”

“Absolutely, if it means I get to keep being a doctor.” She nodded.

“But fighting for what’s right is what makes you a great doctor.” His voice got louder, more passionate, “Mrs. Martinez wouldn’t want you to change or surrender. She’d want you to keep helping people stuck in the system.”

Jordynne’s green eyes locked with his brown ones — they had turned dark and intense. He hesitated for a moment, before leaning across the table and kissing her lightly on the mouth. “I don’t know if I’m supposed to do that anymore…”

She bit her lip, “Me neither.” Looking down at her hands, she spoke quietly, “Thank you for believing in me.”

“I just don’t want you to stop being yourself.” His knuckles stroked the back of her hand.

The pair ate in silence again — the only sound was the cars rolling by and the soft music from inside the restaurant was all that could be heard.

“Have you heard from Ramsey?” Bryce asked breaking the silence, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down.

“No. And at this point I really don’t think I will.” She put down her fork, before looking up and giving him a sad smile. Suddenly, she had completely lost her appetite.

“You’re not going to go home tonight, are you?”

She shook her head — her blonde hair moving wildly, “I’m going to head back to the hospital and see how Rafael’s doing.”

“Let me walk you back?” He offered, grabbing onto the back of her chair and helping her up. 

The pair walked back to Edenbrook in silence — Jordynne was unsure if it was comfortable or not. She wasn’t very sure of anything right now.

Outside the hospital entrance, Bryce hugged her tightly at the hospital entrance, “Just make sure you get some sleep sometime tonight too, okay?”

She gave him a small smile, “I’ll try.” 

* * *

Jordynne did her best to keep her promise.

She was propped up on the chair in Rafael’s room — the flickering, blue light of the television flashing over the pair. Her sweater was thrown over her torso to keep her warm — her feet thrown over the armrests.

Raf was long passed out now — his face peaceful as he rested on the white hospital bed. His hand was dangling off the side — having fallen asleep holding her hand, watching the TV.

Her eyes flickered open once again — blurry from exhaustion. She was stiff — from sleeping in the chair and being on her feet all day. A tension headache was building in her neck and behind her ears.

  
Her mind was reeling again. She was thinking about what Bryce had said. And Rafael. And Chief Emery.

She didn’t regret what she had done for Mrs. Martinez. She didn’t. Would she do it again? What would be the cost?

Getting out of the chair as quietly as possible, Jordynne tip-toed out of the room.

Danny gave her a small smile from the nurse’s station — a phone glued to his ear and wedged between his head and shoulder.

She gave him a nod, ducking her head as she tried to avoid anyone else still working the night shift. Finding the secluded corner in the stairwell from before, she slumped down against the cold wall.

She fumbled through her contacts once again — putting the phone to her ear as she listened to the ringing.

Her heart leaped as it picked up, and she heard a quiet voice, “Hello?”

“Dad?” Jordynne croaked out, his voice breaking.

“Kiddo?” Her dad said groggily. “Hold on, one sec.” There was a sound of shuffling, before he came back, “Hey, everything okay?”

“I’m sorry I woke you… I — I wasn’t thinking,” She shook her head, even though he couldn’t see it.

“That’s okay, kiddo. What’s going on?”

She let out a sigh, “I don’t know…”

“I saw what happened on the news with the subway — your mom said that you were okay.”

She gulped, “I may have lied… I’m not okay.”

  
“What’s wrong, Jordy?” Her dad asked — his voice attentive.

A sob escaped her, and she heard him take a sharp breath at the sound. “I—I’m under investigation at the hospital. One of my patients -she, she died.” She finally got out.

“Did you do something wrong?” She could hear the frown on his face.

She sniffed, trying to calm down, “Technically? Yes. Morally? No.”

“Would you do it again?”

“Yes.” She answered quickly. She hadn’t meant it when she told Bryce she would just play by the rules — that wasn’t her. She didn’t regret what she did.

And she was sick of hiding and sulking around the hospital like she did.

“Then you have your answer, Kiddo.” He took a deep breath, “What are our rules?”

She wiped at the tears streaking her cheeks, reciting them, “Do the right thing. Do the best you can. And always show people you care.”

“They applied when you are six and they still apply when you’re twenty-seven.” He let out a soft laugh, before turning serious again, “You have a such a good heart. You always have.”

“Thanks, dad.” She closed her eyes for a moment — envisioning him and her mom and their family home in her mind, “I really miss you.”

“I miss you too.” He let out a yawn, “Love you kid.”

“Love you too,” She mumbled, before ending the call.

She stares at the blank screen for a moment longer before pushing herself off of the cold, contents floor.

Tightening her ponytail, Jordynne marched down the hallway towards the elevator.

She knew what she had to do.

* * *

A weird wet sensation caused Ethan to stir awake. Looking down, he realized that Jenner was licking his hand.

Swallowing hard, Ethan forced himself to open his eyes — even the sunlight coming in from the next room was enough to cause excruciating pain. His last few days of “coping” has finally caught up to him — and his head-splitting migraine was making him recall just how many glasses of scotch he had actually had.

Stumbling out of his bed, he kicked at the white sheets tangled around his bare ankles before making his way to the bedroom door.

Like a zombie, he padded his way into the kitchenette in the beach house and prayed he had coffee somewhere in the cabinets. He let out a sigh of relief as he found a rolled-up bag of grounds and began to pour it into the coffee maker.

Grabbing the remote for the TV off of the counter, Ethan lazily turned it on — standing behind the island in only his boxers. He rubbed at his sore back and neck — lazily scrolling through the channels with no sound on.

He heard the satisfying sound of the coffee beginning to pour through the filter from behind him. His eyebrows furrowed as he came across the news — images of Boston, ambulances, and EMT. He recognized the street instantly — it wasn’t too far from the Edenbrook.

Fumbling with the remote, he turned on the sound and he heard the news anchors voice fill the living room. “Early yesterday afternoon, a red line subway derailed crashing into the —“

He didn’t hear any of the other words the anchor was saying — his heart pounding in his ears drowned her out. Heat spread across his neck, his chest tightening. He stood dumbfounded for a moment — watching the video capture of EMTs and firefighters running around the scene.

“Authorities have reported that there are over one hundred injured, with several in critical care. There have been no reported deaths from this incident. City officials are sure unsure of what causes the derail — but the investigation is still ongoing.”

With wild eyes, Ethan scrambled around looking for his cellphone. When he found it, he clutched onto it failing to put in his password several times. Finally getting in, Ethan scrolled through the countless notifications — missed calls, texts, voicemails from Edenbrook’s reception, Naveen, Harper, Jordynne…

It was five in the morning, he shouldn’t call them. Especially those still employed at Edenbrook — they probably only went to bed a few hours ago. He knew what that day would be like that — he had had too many of those days.

But Jordynne hadn’t. Her first triage and he had left her high and dry. Instead, he was drunk on the beach in Cape Cod. He ground his molars together despising himself — that was the point of all of this wasn’t it? That he couldn’t help her anymore. He wasn’t what she thought he was.

Putting the phone to his ear, he quickly went through his voicemails — most of them were pleas from the hospital and Emery asking for him to come in. He quickly deleted them, not being able to stand the desperation in their voices. But one voice made him stop.

_“Ethan, it’s Jordynne. I know you’re not answering your calls or texts and you’re probably already deep into like your third bottle of scotch by now… But there was a really bad accident on the subway, and I know Ethan Ramsey would never take the subway in his life, and I overheard Chief Emery say you were out of town but I just really need to know if you’re okay. Please. Tell anyone… it doesn’t have to be me. Please, Ethan.”_

Ethan gulped, shutting his eyes. She knew him too well.

_“I’m really torn between wanting to talk to you so badly and wanting to get over you. Maybe if I — no, if I heard your voice it would probably just make things worse. I like the sound of your voice so much, I hate it. I don’t know what I’m doing anymore, Ethan. I— I really needed you today. And I know a good doctor wouldn’t admit that, and I need to do this on my own. And I needed you as more than just a mentor. I really, really hope you’re okay Ethan. ‘Cause I’m not.”_

His heart twisted with guilt — filled with conflict. Chewing on the inside of his lip, he saved the messages and hesitated before clicking the next one. He wasn’t sure if he could handle another voicemail listening to Jordynne’s aching voice.

_“Ethan…,_” It was Harper’s voice this time — but unlike her other messages, she didn’t sound desperate or angry. She sounded exhausted. _“I knew you wouldn’t answer. But I thought you should hear it from me — I suspended Dr. Holland. She admitted to administering the drug to Mrs. Martinez. We are having an ethics hearing — It doesn’t change anything, and you can’t do anything to change it. I just — I guess I just figured you would want to know.”_

Staring blankly at the wall, Ethan processed what he had just heard. _Suspended? She was being investigated? She hadn’t told him…_

Feeling angry at himself, Ethan pulled his fingers into a tight fist. He hadn’t given her the chance to even tell him — he was being too selfish to even ask.

Stumbling into the bedroom, Ethan pulled on the first clothes he could find — crumbled up trousers and a well-worn sweater. Jenner jumped up at his sudden movement, suddenly on alert. He searched desperately for his car keys and wallet, the only things he had brought with him on his spur of the moment trip. Dumping his coffee into a travel mug, he grabbed water for Jenner before whistling for the dog to follow him out of the door. 

Sitting in the leather seat of his Mercedes, Ethan took a giant swig of coffee, settled Jenner onto his lap and reversed the car out of the driveway of the beach house and towards Boston.

The bottles of scotch sitting in the house were long forgotten.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Rating: T (Swearing)
> 
> Word Count: 3600+
> 
> Description: Ethan comes back to Boston after hearing about Jordynne’s suspension and upcoming hearing. Jordynne is upfront about her feelings to someone. Bryce finally says what he has been thinking for a while now. 
> 
> Disclaimer: Characters, storyline, and parts of the dialogue are taken from Pixelberry’s Choices. They fully own the characters, dialogue, backgrounds, etc. MC Jordynne’s background is my own creation, based loosely off of MC in-game’s personality and provided with more details.
> 
> Author’s Note: Typing up 3600+ fanfiction on your iPhone is not very fun. If my phone calls Bryce “Bruce” one more time I may rage. I have had scenes from this chapter stuck in my head FOREVER. I’m so glad to finally post this chapter because it also means I am getting closer to the 30 diamond scene with Ethan!!!!!!! 
> 
> Also, this fic is now at over 75K words total! Which is super crazy insane.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters, storyline, and parts of the dialogue are taken from Pixelberry’s Choices. They fully own the characters, dialogue, backgrounds, etc. MC Jordynne’s background is my own creation, based loosely off of MC in-game’s personality and provided with more details.

It was weird coming back to Edenbrook.

It looked different somehow.

Did it though? Maybe Ethan’s mind was just playing tricks on him. Guilting him for walking away from the place he had called his home for ten years.

It was still early — and especially after a night of triage — there wasn’t a lot of staff yet. The soft light of the sun rising was cast into the atrium, turning the white walls and floors orange.

Ethan ducked into the elevator quickly — avoiding any lingering stares or confused faces. He wasn’t sure if anyone would recognize him without his white coat and quaffed hair. Not many people had seen Dr. Ramsey is wrinkled trousers and threadbare sweaters. But this was an emergency.

He walked the familiar path to the chief’s office — hesitating at the door before finally pushing himself to knock.

He heard the familiar clicks of Harper’s heels before she opened the door. Her expression was stunned — blinking at the sight of him. Then it turned — her eyebrows furrowing and arms crossing over her chest. She spun on her heel — going back into the room, and leaned against the edge of her desk.

“So it just took dropping her name to get you back here, hey?” Her mouth was gritted into a hard line.

Ethan swallowed, shoving his hands into his pockets, “What?”

“Holland. You quit, leave us high and dry, dodge my calls, tell me to fuck off —,” Harper’s nostrils flared, “But one message about Dr. Holland being suspended and here you are.”

Ethan wasn’t sure what to say.

She sighed at his silence, “Well, it’s too late — she’s suspended and the preliminary ethics hearing is in a few hours. You can’t vouch for her anymore.”

“She’s a good doctor, Harper. You know that.” He stepped forward — his blue eyes big, pleading.

“She is. And it’s a shame that she probably won’t be a doctor anymore after this.”

His stomach tightened as she said that. He couldn’t imagine her not being a doctor — everything she had worked so hard for. It just couldn’t happen. He opened his mouth to speak, but she caught him off.

“You can’t do anything, Ethan. You don’t work here anymore — you don’t have a spot on the panel.” She shook her head, her silver hoops dangling off of her ears, “And there is no chance you’re testifying.”

He took his hands out of his pockets, putting them out to her, “If anybody in this place knows her character it’s me.”

“Exactly. You’re too close to this, Ethan…,” Her brown eyes betrayed her for a moment, “I know you have feelings for her.”

“I—“ Ethan blinked, his mind whirling. He did — he knew, Jordynne knew that. And apparently, Harper did too. How did she know?

She noticed the quizzical look on his face and furrow in his brow. “I’ve seen the way you look at her — I can recognize it anywhere. You used to look at me like that. Once upon a time.”

The pair stood in silence — remembering the time that they were together. Before their schedules and administration got in the way. Before bitterness and tension settled in. Before everything had changed.

“I don’t even know if something’s happened between you two — and I don’t want to. But if the council gets a whiff of it, Ethan — it’s over. She needs a fair, clean trial. And having the Attending she may or may not be romantically involved with testify for her will not help.” Harper stepped forward, grabbing onto the crook of his elbow, “I’m not just saying this as administration Ethan, I’m saying this as your friend. The best thing you can do for her, for both of you, is to stay out of this.”

He chewed on his lip — doing his best to keep his emotions at bay. He wanted to hold on — to fight. His heart wanted to so desperately. But his mind — it knew better. She didn’t need someone like him. A failure. The heartless robot.

“I won’t interfere,” Ethan finally croaked, looking down at his feet.

“Good.” She finally let go of his arm, pushing her hands back onto the desk. “So are you going to tell me why you quit?”

He closed his eyes — his throat closing up. What was he going to tell her? That he had secretly been treating a patient in the newly constructed wing behind her back? Oh, and that patient was Naveen — both of their long-time friend and mentor. And he had handed him his death sentence last week. “I can’t.”

“No, Ethan. You just won’t.” Harper let out an exasperated sigh, before moving around to the other side of her desk. “I have a hearing to prepare for, so if you could see yourself out.” She started shuffling through papers — not looking at him.

He stood there for a moment — and nothing came to mind. Pursing his lips, He turned on his heel and left her office — closing the door quietly behind him.

* * *

Jordynne sat on the edge of her bed — the mattress sinking softly, the soft white duvet wrinkling. She let out a loud exhale — her face buried into her hands, arms propped up against her knees. She was still wearing her blouse and blazer — her attempt to look professional for her preliminary hearing.

She wasn’t sure if it had worked. The formal hearing was still called. Chief Emery announced her official suspension until then. Jordynne had to turn in her badge and watch as Zaid and Ines reassigned her cases to the other interns.

She needed to be confident — she knew that. Everything was on the line. But it’s what she had needed to do. Walking around the hospital, hiding what she had done was wrong. She had given Mrs. Martinez a chance — hope. And even though it hadn’t worked out the way they had wanted it, Jordynne knew that Teresa would not want her to regret it.

But she still couldn’t fight the aching inside her.

Falling back onto the mattress, her blonde hair fanned out behind her. She needed to focus on the hearing — this was her career, everything she had been working for. But she couldn’t help the gnawing in the back of her mind, the pain that felt like a knife slowly twisting in her stomach.

She didn’t want to leave Edenbrook. She definitely did not want to leave Boston. There were so many unanswered questions, so much more left to learn and explore and see. And the people.

Jordynne gulped guiltily. The people — that’s why she didn’t want to leave. Was it people? A certain person? Her mind was reeling.

A soft knock at her open bedroom door caused her to blink back to reality. Her eyebrows furrowed — she was home alone, all of her roommates where working shifts at the hospital. And Landry hadn’t been to the apartment in days. Thankfully.

The tiny form of Sienna poked her head around the door, her almond eyes soft. “Hey, how you holding up?”

Jordynne pushed herself up onto her elbows, looking at her roommate quizzically, “Aren’t you supposed to be at work?”

“Yeah, I just came home for my lunch instead today.” She shrugged, trying to look nonchalant.

“Sienna…”

Her friend chewed her lip, “I just wanted to make sure you were OK.”

“You don’t have to do that.” She played with her fingers, looking down at the worn floor of her bedroom.

“I know I don’t have to. But I wanted to.”

“Right,” Jordynne murmured. Another sigh escaped her lips as she fell back onto the mattress.

“Hey, everything will be okay. You’re gonna rock this trial.” Jordynne felt the mattress sink a little as her roommate sat on the edge of it.

“It’s not just the trial.” She croaked out, blinking away tears as she stared up at the ceiling.

Sienna’s eyebrows furrowed as she thought, “Is it Br—“

“It’s Ethan.” She blurted out, interrupting.

Sienna was quiet for a moment, her eyebrows furrowed even deeper. “Ramsey?”

“Yes.”

“Dr. Ramsey?” She questioned again.

She nodded.

“The Doctor Ethan Ramsey?” Her eyebrows raised high on her face, her neck strained as he looked at her friend.

“Sienna!” Jordynne reached behind her and grabbed onto a pillow. She hit her friend with it lightly.

“Sorry!” She put her hands up in defense, “It’s just just — Wow… Ethan Ramsey. And you mean… like…”

“Yeah.” Grabbing the pillow from the floor, Jordynne clutched it to her chest and she laid back down.

“Wow.” She repeated, “Did you…?”

“No! We — we’ve kissed.”

“When?!”

Jordynne’s green eyes focused on the ceiling again, her fingers nervously picking at the seams of the pillow, “Miami… At the conference. And again, the night we found out about Teresa. Right before he quit…”

Surprise washed over Sienna’s face, “Miami?! That was ages ago! You’re just telling me now?”

“I didn’t know what to make of it then.”

“And what do you make of it now?”

“I — I don’t know.” Jordynne let out a sigh, “But with everything going on right now with the trial, and suspension, and Landry… I have so many things going on right now, but the first thing I think about in the morning is him.”

Sienna settled into the bed a little deeper, crossing her legs and staring at her friend, “Does he know that?”

“We —,” She hesitated, “We’ve never really gotten the chance honestly.”

Sienna bit her lip, looking worried, “Does Bryce know?”

Jordynne nodded, “Mhmm.”

“And how did he take it?”

“Oh you know, like an absolute angel.” Tears welled up in her eyes, “Haven’t really decided anything — since we’re casual and uh, since Ethan and I are just — well, nothing really.”

“Wow,” Sienna repeated again.

“Yeah.”

“How good were those kisses?” A huge grin spread across her face, and she poked at her friend’s side.

“Sienna!”

“What? I mean, it’s Dr. Dreamy Douche — only like half of Edenbrook staff have imagined kissing him.” She purses her lips, attempting to hide a blush, “Maybe including me.”

“Kissing him…,” Jordynne paused, thinking. “It felt right. And that probably sounds awful with hiding it, and Bryce, and it being so ‘complicated’,” She air-quoted the final word, “But it did.”

“Have you heard from him since he quit?”

She clutched the pillow to her chest a little tighter, “No.” She whispered. “I don’t know if I’m more afraid of never seeing him again or seeing him again, you know?”

“Oh, Jordy,” Sienna leaned over and grabbed onto her hand, clutching her fingers. “He doesn’t know what he’s missing.”

* * *

Coffees in hand, Bryce showed up as soon as his shift ended that night. He was greeted with shouts telling him the door was open — maneuvering into the apartment he saw the roommates spread throughout the living and dining room — picking at boxes of pizza. The familiar blonde was nowhere to be seen.

Closing the front door with his hip, Bryce walked in with his eyebrows raised, “Where’s Jordynne?” He asked.

Jackie nodded towards her closed bedroom door, before taking a large bite of pizza.

“She okay?” His eyebrows furrowed, pausing outside of the door.

He watched Sienna’s face fall before she quickly corrected it. “Yeah — yeah, she said the preliminary hearing went alright.”

Bryce studied her face for a moment, before nodding, “That’s good. I’ll— I’ll be back.” Still holding the paper cup in his hand, he used the back of his knuckles to knock quietly on her door, “Jordy? It’s me.”

He heard a soft “come in” from the other side of the door, and he slipped inside. It wasn’t entirely dark in her room — there was a soft orange glow from the lamp on her bedside table, illuminating her figure as she laid in the bed.

Jordynne’s blonde hair was pulled up into a bun, her glasses sitting crooked on her nose as she hugged a pillow. Most of her body was covered by her white duvet, but Bryce knew she had her threadbare Oregon State sweater on.

“Hey,” He whispered, shuffling into the room and next to the bed. He placed one of the cups down on the nightstand, “I brought you a coffee.”

The corners of her pink lips tugged up, “Only you would feed my addiction at 9 o’clock at night.”

“Hey, I know how to deal with gremlin Jordynne any time of day.” He took a swig of his own hot drink, before setting it down next to hers. He carefully sat down on the bed, sitting in the space between her stomach and legs as she laid on her side. “So how was the preliminary hearing?”

“It was alright. Declan was there.” She rolled her eyes, “But this is what I needed to do. Teresa would want this.”

Bryce nodded along with her, before giving her a sad smile. “So if it went well, why are you hiding away in here?”

“I’m not hiding in here.”

“There are three large pizzas outside that make me think differently. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you say no to extra cheesy, greasy pizza.” He smirked.

“I—“ Her green eyes flickered to the door, betraying her, “I’m just not in the mood for it.”

He placed his hand on her side, squeezing her waist, “Talk to me, Jordynne.”

“You don’t want to hear it.” The pillowcase rustled as she shook her head.

“If it’s making you upset, I do.” He squeezed her again, Maybe I can fix it.”

“You can’t fix this, Bryce.”

He shrugged, “Try me.”

“It’s Ethan, ok?” She said quietly.

“Okay.” He chewed his lip, thinking for a moment, “You know, you don’t have to keep hiding this from me.”

“It’s just not fair to you. I don’t—“

But he caught her off, “Jordynne, I know exactly what I signed up for.”

She let out an exasperated sigh, “But I’ve made everything messy. And confusing. This isn’t what you wanted, I’m sure.”

“All I want is for you to not feel like this.” He moved his head until they were both looking at each other. His dark eyes studied her green ones, “So if that means Ethan… or me. Regardless of what happens, with the trial or with him I’m going to be here. Probably with coffee. Until you tell me not to be.” He slipped his hand into hers, squeezing it gently.

They stayed like that for a moment, before Jordynne sat up a little. Her face came towards his, and Bryce felt his breath hitch for a moment. Her pink lips grazed his cheek with a small kiss. “Thank you,” She whispered, a sad smile spreading across her face before she laid back down.

Bryce swallowed hard — burying the feelings that had flared up in him as she had neared his face. He had thought — well, it didn’t matter. 

He left a couple of hours later — after finally coaxing Jordynne out of her room with the coffee and pizza and friends. He had sat across the table from her — unable to tear his eyes away.

Now, he was strolling down a sidewalk in downtown Boston. Opting to walk home instead of taking the subway — the crisp night air was turning his cheeks red. But he had needed the time to think and unwind. It was late now and everything felt heavy — his steps, the long, slow blinks of his eyes, among other things.

All at once the inky black sky opened to let out a shower of rain. It came down slowly at first, before turning into the large droplets that splatted against the sidewalk and Bryce’s face. Scrambling at first Bryce started to pull up the hood of his jacket, before laughing at himself. He was already drenched, soaked from the cool rain.

As he rounded the familiar corner near the hospital, Bryce’s eyes squinted at the familiar neon glow of a pub near his apartment. He could hear the thudding music from inside the building, muffled through the windows but getting slightly louder as patrons went in and out. He had never been inside before — usually opting for the familiar bar near the hospital instead.

As he got closer to the establishment, Bryce’s footsteps started to falter a little in the rain — noticing a figure stumble out of the bar. Just like him, they got immediately drenched by the rain — though the man had no coat like Bryce. He watched as he tipped his head back, letting the cold rain hit him in the face before barking out a hard laugh. Then the man looked to the side, finally noticed he was being watched.

Bryce studied his dark features before recognition washed over him.

It was Ramsey.

Ethan must have realized who he was too, cause in that moment he turned on his heel and began striding away in the opposite direction.

Anger boiled in Bryce as his steps moved faster to match with his — attempting to catch up to him. Jordynne has been constantly worrying, waiting to hear from him — and now he was in the city and still hadn’t reached out to her?

“Hey!” Bryce called putting after him, almost in a jog at this point. “Hey!”

“What do you want, Lahela?” Ethan slurred, finally twisting around to face him.

“What I need,” Bryce took him by the shoulders and pulled him under a nearby awning away from the rain. His breath was a little ragged, and he took a moment to take a few deep breaths, “What I need is for you to figure out what the fuck you want.”

“Excuse me?” Ethan was looking anywhere but at Bryce. He reeked of booze — the scent lingering on him even though his sweater was soaked. And he looked like, well, shit. The surgical intern had never seen the ex-Attending look so disheveled.

“This.” Bryce jabbed a finger into his chest, “You. Whatever this is — it’s killing her.”

He studied his face when he said that — noticing the guilt that washed over Ethan’s face. He knew who he is was talking about.

“What you’re doing is killing, Jordynne. I’ve never seen her like this. And it’s because of you.” Shoving his hands back into his jacket pocket, Bryce backed away from him a little. “So decide man, do you want her? Or not? Because she does. She wants you.”

The pair were silent for a moment, tension still slowly pulling between them.

Finally, Ethan spoke again. “You just admit to losing Lahela? Your girl wants me over you?”

Bryce’s nostrils flared for a moment, but he pushed the anger back down. “I could give a shit about losing to you. All I care about is her being happy. And for some god damn reason, you do that for her.

I could care less about being her second choice. I could be her hundredth choice, and I would still be ecstatic. Because every day with her is like winning the god damn lottery. And if you don’t fucking realize that, then you need to let her go. Because it’s killing her. And I can’t watch it anymore.” 

Ethan’s steely eyes were wide for a moment, and his Adam’s Apple dropped as he took a hard swallow. “How long have you been preparing that?”

“Since the moment I found out how she felt about you.” Bryce let out a long breath through his nose, “In my head, there was a pretty good right hook to your face too. But I figure I shouldn’t do that.”

“Thanks.” Ethan breathed out. Bryce watched him stumble a little towards the curb, before lowering himself onto it and sitting down. Ethan put his face into his hands.

Letting out a sigh, he sat down next to him — feeling his jeans get soaked from the water running off the sidewalk. “Why are you being like this?”

“Well, I would approximate that I’m at 0.15% Blood Alcohol Content right now. That probably has something to do with it.”

“That’s not what I—,” Bryce chewed on the inside of his cheek, “Then why are you drinking like this? To forget?”

“Maybe to remember,” Ethan said quietly.

The pair watched in silence as a car drove by on the other side of the road — hitting a puddle and sensing a large spray of water over the asphalt.

“I’m not what they think I am.”

Bryce’s eyebrows furrowed, “What?”

“Jordynne. Naveen. Harper. All of them. I’m not what they think I am.” Ethan waved his arm at himself, sitting on the curb, “This is the real Ethan Ramsey.”

“Jordynne doesn’t seem to think so.” He gulped.

“Well, she’s wrong.” Ramsey croaked.

“Maybe you should let her decide that.” Bryce put his hands on his knees and pushed himself off of the curb. “And stop ghosting her. Talk to her.”

“I—“

“No. This,” Bryce pointed to Ethan drunkenly sitting on the curb, “Is not helping anyone.”

Finally, he offered his hand out to Ethan. He hesitated, but then grabbed onto the surgical intern’s tan hand and allowed him to help him up. “I still don’t like you though.”

“I know.”

“And you don’t like me.”

“Nope.”

“But I — we,” Bryce corrected himself, “We like Jordynne. So.”

“Yeah.”

Bryce didn’t say anything else. He noticed a cab turning the corner near them, and he flagged them down with a wave. “You too drunk to remember where you live?”

“Hyde Park?” Ethan asked through the open window of the cab. He got a nod from the driver, and he pulled the door open. Ethan paused with the door open, “I’d offer to share the cab, but I feel like if you spend any more time with me I risk getting that right hook to the face?”

“Yup,” Bryce said coolly.

Ethan barked out a laugh, before giving Bryce a final nod and slipped into the cab.

He watched the yellow cab pull away, and he finally realized how long he had been standing (and sitting) in the rain for. Pulling out his phone, he sighed when he noticed the time and pocketed it again.

What had he gotten himself into?


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Rating: M (NSFW, Swearing, Smut)
> 
> Word Count: 3700+
> 
> Description: Jordynne finally confronts Ethan about everything. Emotions flare. 
> 
> Disclaimer: Characters, storyline, and parts of the dialogue are taken from Pixelberry’s Choices. They fully own the characters, dialogue, backgrounds, etc. MC Jordynne’s background is my own creation, based loosely off of MC in-game’s personality and provided with more details.
> 
> Author’s Note: I DID IT. 30 diamond scene with a certain Dr. Ethan Jonah Ramsey. I really wanted to explore the raw emotions in this scene, the anger and hurt and want. I already have the next chapter planned – and honestly, staying the night at Ethan’s and waking up there the next day is DEFS going to be explored!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters, storyline, and parts of the dialogue are taken from Pixelberry’s Choices. They fully own the characters, dialogue, backgrounds, etc. MC Jordynne’s background is my own creation, based loosely off of MC in-game’s personality and provided with more details.

PART EIGHTEEN

“Well, I think that settles it. All three of us will speak on your behalf at the panel.”

Bryce felt his heart start to lower out of his throat — he had been so worried.

Jordynne blinked in disbelief, “You will?”

“We consider it our obligation as doctors,” Yannick said. “And for what it’s worth… we’re not alone.”

The group of friends all shared a look with each other.

“Everyone at the hospital knows you violated the rules, but when it comes to your punishment…There have been quite a few… shall we say, ‘friendly disputes’ at leadership meetings.”

A smile spread across Sienna’s face, “You mean… other doctors are rooting for Jordynne?”

“Half of them. The other half want to see her privileges revoked. The entire hospital is at war over this.” Calais said.

“Now that’s over with I imagine you want to get one with your day, instead of playing golf?”

The doctors gave them a nod before they continued forward with their caddies — leaving the group of medical interns behind.

“To me, that sounds like you’ve still got a fighting chance.” Bryce smiled, reaching forward and squeezing Jordynne’s shoulder tightly.

“Especially with Ethan Ramsey at your side!” Elijah offered.

Bryce felt his stomach twist at the mention of his name — visions of the previous night flashing through his mind.

Jordynne let out a humorless laugh, “But he’s not. I haven’t heard from him since he quit.” Her eyes flashed to him — but they were hard to read.

Jackie furrowed her brow, “What the hell, Jordynne? You need to reach out to him! He might not work at the hospital anymore, but he still has major clout.”

Sienna pursed her lips, giving her a knowing look. “Seriously. Text him right now.”

Jordynne hesitated, looking at Bryce. He licked his lips, before nodding at her. Pulling out her iPhone, she started typing up a message.

_I know it didn’t work any of the other times I sent you a message, but I really need to talk to you, Ethan._

Her heart fluttered in disbelief as she saw three tiny dots appear under the text. “Hold on… He’s responding. He says… ‘_I hate texting_’”. She let out a dry laugh at the response, “Of course he would say that.”

“That checks out,” Jackie said, joining in her laugh.

“He says, if I want to talk, I’ll have to do it in person…” She chewed her pink lip, staring down at the phone.

“Well, you’ve gotta go, right?” Bryce spoke up, hiding his hands in his pockets.

He watched her swallow — before pocketing her phone. “Right.” Her green eyes avoid his stare, “Sienna, can you take me?”

“Oh yeah, of course!” Her bubbly voice came out, pulling out her glittery keychain.

After a quick goodbye and a wish good luck, Bryce watched them pull away from the golf course from the backseat of Jackie’s car. Gritting his back molars together, Bryce pushed back the sigh that was developing in him. He wanted her to be happy. That’s what mattered.

He needed her to be happy.

* * *

The sun was going down by the time Jordynne was nearing Ethan’s apartment. Her finger trembled a little bit as she reached out and buzzed the number for his apartment. She waited for a moment and there was nothing. Just as she was about to give up, there was a buzz and click as the door unlocked to let her in.

Letting out the breath she didn’t realize she was holding, she gave a small wave over to Sienna sitting in her car before heading into the apartment building.

She played with the hem of her short skirt nervously as she waited in the elevator. This was the first time she was seeing him since he had quit. Since they had kissed — the kiss that anyone could have seen, that had been so raw and real. This was the first time she was going to even speak to him since then.

Chewing her pink lip nervously, she softly knocked on his familiar apartment door.

As the door opened, her ears perked up as she heard a short laugh. “Did you join a cult?”

She had forgotten how much she had liked that sound. His laugh.

She let out a breathy laugh, a wave of emotions rolling over her at the sight of him. “A country club.”

Her green eyes raked over him — it looked like he hadn’t slept properly in days. His usually quaffed hair was unruly and fluffy, his face unshaven. He was wearing a wrinkled gray sweater and sweatpants.

“Same thing.” He shrugged, before stepping out of the door frame and waving her inside. Jordynne swallowed as she walked past — his familiar scent catching in her nose.

Jenner immediately ran up to her — his tail wagging with excitement. She bent down, scratching the back of his ears as he greeted her. “So, how have you been?” She asked.

Ethan laughed bitterly at the question, padding into the living room and not checking to see if she followed from the entry. “You mean how has early retirement been? Not what all those investment ads make it out to be.”

Grabbing a bottle from a shelf, he started to pour two glasses of amber liquid. Jordynne noted that the bottle was already half empty. She wondered how many of them he had gone through.

He padded back over to her, offering her one of the glasses.

She raised a brow to him, “Sure you want to share?”

“It sounds like you need one. I heard your preliminary hearing didn’t go to well.” He held out the drink to her, a small smirk on his face.

Jordynne took it, clutching it to her chest, “Give me that.”

He let out a laugh — a sad laugh. “That’s what I thought.” He held his glass up to her in a toast, “To early retirement… likely for us both.”

The clinking of their glasses echoed through the space before Ethan finished his drink in two large gulps.

Jordynne followed suit, before placing her glass down on the coffee table gently. “So you already knew about the hearing?”

His eyebrows furrowed, “Obviously.”

“Then… Then why the hell haven’t I heard from you, Ethan?” Anger flared in her, “Have you already written me off as a lost cause?”

His blue eyes turned sad, “Of course I haven’t…”

“But you couldn’t be bothered to reach out? Not even a text?” Every time she stepped towards him, she noted how he stepped back. He was almost backed up to the kitchen island by now.

He shrugged, “I told you, Holland. I hate texting.”

“It never stopped you before. And I called. I know you got my voicemails.” Her arms crossed over her torso, “And it’s Holland now? Not ‘Rookie’? Why are you being so cold?”

Ethan swallowed before looking away from her. His blue eyes stayed on the floor.

“It drove me crazy, Ethan. I didn’t know where you were… If you were okay…” 

“I—“

“No, fuck you. I get to talk right now,” Emotions flared in her — her heart climbing up into her throat, “Fuck you for leaving, Ethan. For quitting. You just left. After everything. No looking back. Fuck you for leaving when I needed you. Fuck you for giving up on us — on whatever this is. Fuck you because I _missed_ you.” Her voice broke, “So desperately, every day. And you never answered.”

She waited for him to say something — to say _anything_. She shook her head at him, “And you know I’m a good doctor. You know you could help me.”

“I can’t.” His voice was barely a whisper.

“What’s happened to you? I came to Edenbrook to learn from _the_Ethan Ramsey.”

His voice finally raised up to match hers, “This is _The_ Ethan Ramsey. The man who can save anyone except the people he gives a damn about. Not Dolores. Not Naveen. And not you.” His voice cracked, and his blue eyes shifted away from her.

Jordynne crossed the space between them, stabbing a finger into his chest. She could physically feel the hurt building up in her chest, her face turning red, “Maybe you quit. But you taught me not to. So I’m fighting back. With or without you.”

Ethan grabbed onto her hand, pulling it away from his chest. He held Jordynne there, gently restraining her against the kitchen island. “Don’t you think I’d help you if I could?”

Confusion flashed over her face, “Then why…”

“I already told Harper I wanted to testify for you and she refused. She says I’m too biased, to close to this. And you know what? She’s goddamn right!” His voice finally returned to a normal volume, “So stop asking. I don’t work there, and soon neither will you.” Tears were starting to form in the corners of his eyes.

Jordynne gulped, her eyes flickering between his — studying his face. “Ethan… what are you saying?”

“I’m saying I’m not your boss anymore and that means… That means…”

She was very suddenly aware of his strong hands on her wrists. His body pressed up against hers, pressing her into the back of the kitchen island.

And it happened all at once.

Like it always did.

Their lips met passionately, the kisses were more urgent and raw than they had ever been before. Ethan’s arms enveloped her, crushing her into him.

Jordynne’s fingers reached up to his face — her fingers trailing over his scratchy stubble and the hard line of his jawline. His skin was so warm underneath her fingertips.

All the anger that flared up in her calmed — the heat settled down low in her stomach instead. The familiar sensation of want filled her. 

He pulled his lips away from hers — the skin sticky slightly. His forehead planted on hers, his nose brushing her cheek as he spoke — his voice a growl, “I want you… You have no idea how much I’ve wanted you…”

“I’m right here,” She said through ragged breath, gripping onto his chin, moving his mouth back towards hers, “Nothing’s stopping us anymore.”

With a strength she didn’t realize Ethan had, he slid his hands down from her waist to her legs. He gripped her thighs and lifted her with ease. Parting her legs, she wrapped them around his waist easily and the pair restarted their fiery kisses.

With great precision, Ethan moved over the plush carpet, maneuvered around the sleeping dog, and carried her towards a door. He pushed it open with his back. His bedroom would have been revealed to her for the first time — if Jordynne wasn’t so distracted by the sensation of his lips on hers and his fingers digging into her backside.

Placing her on top of the dresser gently, Ethan began moving his kisses down her chin, to her neck, to her collarbone. Jordynne was thankful for something to hold onto as she gripped the edge of the dresser with her hands, while her legs pulled him into her even more.

Pulling away from her, Ethan tugged his shirt over his head, revealing his naked torso. She ran her hands over his lean muscles — relishing the way he felt. He shivered at her touch, “Jordynne…”

She grabbed onto his back, her fingernails digging into him slightly as she gripped onto him tighter. She had imagined this moment so many times — it was hard to imagine that it was real.

Ethan broke the kiss just long enough to pull the golf dress she was wearing over her head. His stormy eyes looked her over — a smile spreading across his face. His lips moved back to the corner of her mouth, to her ear lobe, to her neck, and chest. His stubble scratched her sensitive skin slightly, turning it red. A quick breath escaped her at the feeling. “Your stubble tickles.”

“I should shave,” He paused, scratching at his chin as he stood between her legs.

Her fingers replaced his on his face, “Don’t. I like it.”

He flashed her another smile, before dipping down to continue his trail of kisses.

“So what are you planning to do with me, now that those pesky clothes are out of the way?” She asked, her eyes fluttering as his mouth worked over her skin.

He trailed his thumb over her pink lips, and Jordynne grabbed it into her mouth — sucking on it slightly before giving it the tiniest bite. His eyes darkened with hunger. “What do you want me to do with you, Jordynne?”

Unwinding her legs from around him, she hopped off of the dresser. She grabbed onto his wrist gently, attempting to pull him towards the bed.

But he planted his feet, slowing her. “Not so hasty… I’ve waited months to have you. I’m not going to rush it.” He kissed her again, slow and tantalizing. His tongue meeting hers while his hands roamed her body freely. His trained fingers played with the elastic of her bra. 

“Mmmm, could you rush it just a little?” She sighed into his mouth, melting into him.

He gave her a devilish smile, before shaking his head. “No.” He slid his fingers inside her bra, cupping her breasts gently.

Jordynne let out a small gasp at the sensation, “Feel me, Ethan. I need you to feel me.”

He put his face into the crook of her neck, his wet lips brushing against her ear as he whispered to her, “I feel you.”

His other hand slipped into the front of her underwear, relishing in the feeling of her soft skin.

She let out a moan, “Oh god. I’ve dreamt about this for so long.”

“I have to admit… as much as I tried to deny it… I have too.” His fingers slid into her easily, working another moan from her. She writhed against him in pleasure — her heart hammering as his fingers worked. She raised to her tiptoes as the fire in her belly started to develop, her fingers digging into his shoulder for leverage.

Realizing they were still standing in the middle of his bedroom, Ethan gently pushed her towards the bed. Jordynne’s knees met the soft edges of the mattress, causing her to buckle and fall onto it. She propped herself up on her elbows, watching as Ethan stripped her of her bra and panties.

He licked his lips, gulping as her naked body was finally revealed to him. His practiced hands ran over her body, feeling her soft, flushed skin. Keeping his hands on her breasts, he began planting hot kisses down her body — her collarbone, breasts, navel, hips, her inner thigh. His kisses suddenly stopped, and Jordynne opened her eyes to look down at him, her teeth biting into her bottom lip.

A devilish smirk spread across his face before he placed his mouth on her center. Her hips bucked at the sensation, her fingers winding into his wavy hair. Moans of encouragement escaped her, causing Ethan’s mouth to work harder.

“Ethan!” She let out as he slipped a finger into her — adding into her bliss. “I—I’m,” He added another finger, and her hips automatically lifted off of the mattress — deepening the motion. Her thighs tightened around his shoulders as a familiar sensation started to develop. Ethan’s hands moved from her breasts to her hips — steadying her trembles as she found her release.

Catching her breath for a moment, Jordynne let out a happy sigh — getting a soft chuckle from Ethan. Opening her eyes, she looked down at Ethan — he had a soft expression on his face, but his eyes were dark with want.

She grabbed onto his hand, pulling him towards her — but he hesitated, shifting his weight back from her. He stared into her eyes, his pupils moving quickly— waiting for permission.

She pulled him into a kiss in a silent answer — her hands roaming for the button of his pants, pushing them and his underwear down quickly. Standing up slightly, Ethan kicked them off — leaving him as stark naked as she was. Her green eyes raked his body — her mouth turning dry from want.

Ethan wrapped his arms around her torso, lifting her easily and placing her in the middle of the bed, her head propped up against the down pillows. Her heart quickened as he crawled over her, his hot skin brushing with hers. She gulped as she felt his hard member press into her thigh.

Slowly lowering himself onto her, Ethan placed a kiss just behind her ear — causing the hairs on Jordynne’s neck to raise up. “I want it to be as special as you are.” He whispered, before pushing his hips into hers.

Moans of pleasure came out of them as their bodies intertwined — her slick folds stretching to let him in as he entered her agonizingly slow. Their hips slowly rolling into each other as they found a rhythm. Jordynne’s legs wrapped around Ethan’s strong torso — pushing him deeper into her. “Jordynne…” He let out gruffly at the feeling, his rhythm growing more powerful.

He twined his fingers into hers, gripping her harder as their mouths met in raw, deep kisses — both of their hearts thundering in their chests. This was — more than anything she could have imagined.

“Oh god, Ethan…” She let out as he untangled his fingers from her and dragged them down her body. His thumb found her sensitive nub, pressing down with more pressure with every deep thrust. His other hand gripped into her ass — his fingernails digging into the skin as he pounded into her.

Pressure began to build up within Jordynne — her body aching for release. Closing her eyes she watched as her vision turned white, everything in her clenched around Ethan as she shouted out. At the feeling of her release, Ethan’s breath turned ragged, “Jordynne… Jordynne…”.

The pair laid like that for a moment, skin to skin — Ethan laying on top of her carefully, their legs intertwined. He let out a happy sigh, before pressing his mouth gently to hers — a different kind of kiss then they had ever had before.

Breaking the kiss he put his forehead against hers, their lashes fluttering against each other’s cheeks. “That was…”

“Yeah.” Jordynne dragged a fingernail across his jawline, the soothing action causing his eyes to flutter. They let out yet another happy sigh – before breaking into quiet chuckles. 

Shifting around, the pair found themselves cuddled under the soft duvet — Ethan’s arms wrapped around her, enveloping Jordynne into him. She was making random patterns on his chest, her green eyes wandering across him, taking as much of him in as she could.

His stormy eyes were heavy and blinking slowly. His usually perfectly quaffed hair had turned wavy and fluffy from her running her fingers through it. Parts of his ears and cheeks were still flushed pink. She didn’t think she had ever seen him look so relaxed.

Suddenly his thick brows furrowed, and she could almost see the cogs whirring in his head. He was overthinking. 

She stopped her fingers and instead placed her hand on his chest, getting his attention, What’s wrong? Do you think this was a mistake?”

His eyes opened at her voice, “No. How could I?” He moved a piece of blonde hair out of her eyes, tucking it behind her ear, “But… But time will tell. Because the truth is, I can’t help feeling like I’ve failed you.” His eyes left hers and looked down at the bedsheets.

Confusion swept across her face, “How do you mean?”

“When I first read your application to Edenbrook. I saw the most incredible potential. And then when I met you… I knew I’d been right. I knew you had it in you to be a brilliant doctor. If you just had someone to push you and challenge you. The way Naveen did for me. But I let you down. I tried not to let myself fall fo for you…” His blue eyes met hers again finally, they were filled with guilt.

She raised her fingers from his chest, and ran them over his wrinkled forehead and furrowed brow, “You didn’t let me down.”

He shook his head, “I did. I wanted to make you the best doctor you could be…”

Jordynne silenced him with a tender kiss, “You did. No matter what happens… you did.”

He twisted his mouth, nodding. “Are you ready for the hearing?”

She let out a heavy sigh, “I have no idea. Will you be there? Even if you can’t testify?”

“Do you want me there?” He asked softly.

“Yes,” She nodded profusely.

“Then I’ll be there.” He didn’t miss a beat. “Just… don’t give up. Don’t you dare give up. And I’m sorry I couldn’t do anything more.”

“Don’t…” She pressed her finger to his lips, silencing him softly.

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner? About the investigation?” He asked.

“I tried to… But Naveen…” Her voice trailed off.

“Ah,” He gulped.

“I didn’t want to add to your weight.”

He shook his head, hating himself, “I was being selfish.”

“You were in pain, Ethan. And when I found about Naveen the investigation and sabotage just weren’t a priority — you two were.”

His brow furrowed, “Sabotage?”

“Oh…,” She cheers her lip, “I guess you don’t know. Do you know Dr. Olsen? Blonde, curly hair?”

He thought for a second, before recognition grew across his face, “The know-it-all?”

“Mhmm.”

“Him?!” His eyes were wide with shock.

“Mhmm.”

“You — you live with him?”

She shook her head, “I used to. He moved out.”

“What — what did he do?” His jaw was set into a hard line.

“Turned off my pager, took patient charts, spread rumors amongst the nurses…”

“He put patients at risk. He put you at risk.” She could hear the edge in his rising voice.

She shrugged, trying to keep it light, “It doesn’t matter now. No one got hurt. And it was just about the competition —,”

“No, it does matter Jordynne. If I see that bastard, I swear to god…” He growled but stopped as she kissed him once again.

“I’m fine, Ethan. I’m here and fine.” She trailed the kisses onto the corner of his mouth, to the dimple on his chin. “I like doing that.”

A soft chuckled escaped him, that reverberated into her chest. “I like you doing it.” He pulled her into him tighter — tucking her head under his chin. He ran his fingers throw her loose, blond hair. Jordynne’s eyes fluttered at the action, a soft smile slowly spreading across her face as she cuddled up to him.

And in that moment — nothing else mattered.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Rating: M (NSFW, Smut)
> 
> Word Count: 4000+
> 
> Description: Ethan lets the reality of what just happened with Jordynne sink in.
> 
> Disclaimer: Characters, storyline, and parts of the dialogue are taken from Pixelberry’s Choices. They fully own the characters, dialogue, backgrounds, etc. MC Jordynne’s background is my own creation, based loosely off of MC in-game’s personality and provided with more details.
> 
> Author’s Note: What happens after the 30 diamond scene with Ethan! Because you know how much your girl hates it when it fades to black and BAM! MC is off doing something different. I am almost done with Book One, and just in time for Book Two — I am such a procrastinator guys. It took a lot of time for this update as I was having some major writing blocks and posting anxiety, etc. etc.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters, storyline, and parts of the dialogue are taken from Pixelberry’s Choices. They fully own the characters, dialogue, backgrounds, etc. MC Jordynne’s background is my own creation, based loosely off of MC in-game’s personality and provided with more details.

PART NINETEEN

“Are you telling me that _the_ Ethan Ramsey goes to bed before nine o’clock?”

Ethan’s blue eyes flickered open at the sound of giggles, blinking them as he adjusted to the warm light from his bedside lamp.

Jordynne was laying next to him still — her elbow propping her head up as it leaned against a white pillow. Her blonde hair was a mess of waves, and even in the dim lighting, he could still see the freckles dusting her flushed cheeks.

“I do not.,” He grumbled, pulling her into him, “I am not ‘going to bed’, I was just closing my eyes.”

“Uh-huh, suuuuuuure,” She chuckled, placing a wet kiss along his scratchy jawline.

He opened his eyes, raising her eyebrows at her, “I seem to recall some fairly strenuous physical activity not too long ago.” Ethan ran a finger down her naked back, trailing down her spine. “Forgive me for being an old man.”

“You are so not old.”

He barked out a life, “Just out of practice then.”

She looked at him quizzically, “… do you mean?”

“I told you before I don’t ever do things like this… It’s been since Harp— it’s been a while.”

“Well, Dr. Ramsey,” Jordynne slid around him a little tighter, her bare leg wrapping around his, “You have absolutely nothing to worry about.”

He felt a smile spread across his face as she gave him a hot kiss. A knot twisted in his stomach — staying in this bed with her forever was slowly becoming more and more feasible.

“So… food?” She said sheepishly.

“Ah, there she is.”

“Hey!” She smacked him playfully on the chest. “All that strenuous activity made me work up an appetite.”

* * *

Ethan’s steps faltered as he stepped back into his living room — his car keys jangling in his pocket. A record was playing — a soft song, he wasn’t sure he had heard it before. Did he own this? He looked down to see the long-unused record player spinning around, and the cover for the vinyl sitting next to it.

Jordynne had put on the clothes he had left out for her. The stretched-out sweater, that he usually reserved for sick days and walking Jenner, was now hanging off of her — drooping off of her shoulder, revealing her sharp collarbone. The hem of it just fell over the tops of her thighs. Ethan cleared his throat — attempting to regain his composure.

The sound announced his presence. She turned to see him standing there, the brown takeout bag curled in his hand. “Hi,” She said simply, a soft smile spreading across her face.

“Hi,” He used the tops of his toes to kick off his shoes before padding towards her. “What are you doing?”

She placed a lighter down, finishing lighting the candle on the dining room table. “I just thought —,” She looked down at the floor, her cheeks flushing pink.

“I like it. I don’t think I’ve seen this place like this before.” He put down the food on the counter, before striding towards her, “Music and candles.”

“You’ve never had a date in here?”

“A _date_; is that what this is?”

She let out an embarrassed laugh, “Maybe? I’m not sure. I don’t think we’ve really followed standard protocol in the whole scheme of things.”

“But we’re so good at following protocol usually,” He said sarcastically with a smirk, before placing his hands on her waist. “This is a date.”

“Yeah?” She questioned, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear. “O-okay.”

The pair sat down at the table, sitting across from each other. Ethan gulped as her bare leg brushed up against his underneath. Clearing his throat again, he started unpacking the take out he got them.

He pulled out the containers of pasta — he had guessed what to order for her. Once he was staring up at the menu, he recalled their night at Alessandro’s — how long ago it felt. But he would never forget that night, and how it made him feel— and he even remembered the meal she had ordered. So as he stared up at the menu with wide eyes, wondering what on earth to get the goddess waiting back at his apartment, he remembered that night — and how she covered her full mouth as she laughed, and the small moan that escaped her lips as she ate that dish. He knew that’s what he had to get.

Her green eyes lit up as he put the dish out for her, and she tried to hide a smile. Maybe she was remembering that night too.

“I did okay?” He asked sheepishly.

She nodded, “Yeah, yeah. You did great.” She gave him a warm smile.

Ethan stood up and grabbed their tumblers off of the coffee table. “Does scotch go with pasta?”

Jordynne shrugged, “It does now.”

He joined her at the small table again— their knees knocking into each other slightly. He gulped at first, still getting accustomed to just being able to touch her now. How if he reached out and grabbed her cheek, or pulled her in for a kiss — it would be okay.

The pair stayed like that while they ate — their ankles and toes playing with each other. Their eyes catching, flickering away in embarrassment before looking back and holding on more. Jordynne had even reached over and wiped sauce off of his scruffy chin.

Ethan could barely believe this night was real — he had dreamed it up so many times. And as he stared at her now, clad in his worn shirt and grinning from ear to ear at him, Ethan could swear their evening was plucked straight from a movie. And that was _him_ thinking that.

After their meals were long finished, their scotch glasses empty and the bottle bone dry, the pair moved onto the leather couch. She had draped her legs across his lap — and he was absently brushing his fingers up and down her knees. Jenner was loyally at their feet — his eyes closed as he slept peacefully.

A soft sigh escaped Jordynne before she spoke up again, “I should probably get changed.”

“I think that sweater is serving you quite well.” Ethan smiled, running a fingertip across her exposed shoulder.

“Yeah,” She blushed, “But I can’t wear it home.” She swung her feet off of him and back onto the floor.

His thick eyebrows furrowed together, “Home? You’re leaving?”

“Well, I thought —“ She went to get up, but Ethan grabbed onto her hand.

“Stay.” He said softly. He didn’t want her to leave —this, this had just started. He wasn’t ready to say goodnight.

“I don’t want to impose—“

“Stay.” He pulled her into him, her hands catching on his chest after the sudden movement.

Her green eyes caught his blue ones, studying them. “It’s really okay, Ethan. I don’t min—“

He pressed his forehead to hers, their lips centimeters apart. “Stay.” His voice was a low, suggestive growl. “St—“ But before he could repeat himself, Jordynne silence him with a kiss.

Ethan wrapped his arms around her, his hand at the back of her neck, fingers twining into her hair. He deepened the kiss — his tongue playing with hers.

When she pulled her mouth away, he felt lightheaded. A smile flickered across her pink lips, stretching them. “I’ll stay.” She whispered, before kissing him again.

* * *

Ethan paused in the doorframe leading from his master bath — looking into the bedroom. The warm glow from the bedside lamp gave him just enough light to see Jordynne laying in the bed.

She was laying opposite his usual side — he wondered if that was something she had picked up on or if that was just her side. He hadn’t told her which side he slept on, as he really did not care— he would be content to sleep on the ground if that meant keeping her there with him until the morning.

She was still wearing his sweater, and her blonde hair was fanned out behind her, draping the white pillow and sheets. She was absent-mindedly stroking Jenner, who had glued himself into her —_ god, that dog loved her._

Stepping into the bedroom got her attention — she opened her eyes and smiled as she watched him walk around to the edge of the bed. Ethan suddenly felt bashful as he stripped down to his briefs to get in the bed. He noticed her eyes traveling up and down his body.

“Does Jenner usually sleep with you?” She asked, as he ducked under the duvet and joined her in the bed.

“When I’m here? Yes.” He shuffled around until he was facing her. “However, it seems that I’ve been replaced.” He pointed to the dog, who was now laying on his back as she scratched his belly.

But she scoffed, “Never.”

Resting his head onto the pillow, Ethan found himself mesmerized by her once again. He had already found himself in this position once this evening — laying next to her after their heated passion, attempting to comprehend how any of this was real. How this fiercely intelligent, gorgeous woman was lying next to him.

He was suddenly reminded of every daydream he had had before — a faceless woman at the apartment with him, eating dinner, laying in the bed. And he realized it had never been a faceless woman — it had been her. It had been Jordynne.

“This is gonna sound stupid.” She said softly — bringing him back to reality.

“Hmmm?” He asked curiously.

“I’ve imagined all of this so much — that I, well, I have to keep reminding myself this is real.” Her voice was quiet as she spoke — as if she was uncertain if she should be saying it allowed.

“Took the words right out of my mouth, Rookie.” He shuffled closer to her, pulling her into him and sandwiching Jenner between them.

* * *

Soft light trickled in through the drawn curtains, castling a slight glow throughout the bedroom. The pair were tangled into each other — their ankles and legs crossed over each other, Ethan’s armed loosely draped across Jordynne’s waist, keeping her body close to the lines of his own. Jenner had apparently left at some point in the night.

As they slowly woke up, the pair shifted around slightly — stretching their limbs around each other.

“Morning,” Ethan whispered, his voice still groggy.

“Mmm,” Jordynne said in reply, settling into his arms a little more deeply.

A soft chuckle escaped him, shaking Jordynne slightly as she rested her head onto her chest. He placed a scratchy kiss on to the top of her head, while his fingertips grazed the sensitive skin of her neck. His heart skipped as she placed a kiss on chin, searching for his lips.

They were soft and lazy kisses at first — her lips felt warm and full. Slowly melting together, Jordynne sucked gently on his bottom lip — then there was the smallest graze of teeth. Ethan kissed her deeper, his tongue coaxing hers out as their hips moved together — his underwear suddenly feeling slightly tighter with their intimate “good morning”.

Just as the kisses turned desperate, she pulled away. A soft growl escaped him, but it was quickly muffled as she continued her kisses down his scratchy chin, and neck — sucking slightly at the sensitive skin. Her mouth worked her way down his body — his collarbones and pecs, down his chest, and stomach. Ethan’s legs twitched — she was driving him crazy.

He glanced down past the crumpled up white duvet to the top of her head — her blonde hair was cast over her shoulder, out of her way as she kissed his body. Her fingers found their way into the elastic band of his underwear — toying with it.

“Jesus Jordynne,” He hissed, biting his lip as she moved further down his body — pulling his underwear down just enough to place her mouth on the divot of his hip. Her green eyes flashed up at him through her thick lashes — a mischievous smile spread across her face as she fully pulled his underwear down and revealed his hard member.

Ethan saw white inside his eyes as she wrapped her lips around him, and he entered her mouth. He twitched as she let out a moan, the sound vibrating around him. Her velvety tongue ran up the seam of his shaft, causing his toes to dig into the mattress as he attempted to keep control. When her hands joined into the fray, he felt his stomach tighten, a knot forming—.

With a pop, she pulled her mouth from off of him and he let out a heavy grunt. Jordynne got back onto her knees, shifting and drawing herself back on top of him with a devilish grin on her face.

Ethan let out a ragged breath as she straddled him, her thighs tightening around his torso. “What are you trying to do to me?”

“Whatever I want.” She crossed her arms around herself as she peeled the borrowed sweater off. His eyes traveled her naked body, his hands automatically moving across her soft skin. She arched her back a little at his touch, which drove her hips deeper into his. He could feel how wet she was as she pressed herself into him. She stayed like that — hovering over and teasing him.

His hands went to her hips, his thumbs digging in as he guided her. “Ethan,” She hissed softly, as she slowly lowered herself onto him. His eyes rolled back in his head at the sensation — his hands remaining loosely on her hips. He didn’t even attempt to guide her anymore — allowing her to take the reins. Their movements were slow, but natural — their hips rolling with each other lazily in the early morning light. Her hands went onto his chest — grinding her body against his and letting out a sigh of pleasure as they found their rhythm.

Ethan opened his eyes to stare at her above him — her head tossed back in ecstasy as they moved together. All he could do was focus on her and how they felt together. Their breaths turned ragged as they began to reach their release — the similar tightening sensation overcoming Ethan as Jordynne’s legs wrapped around him. As she came undone, she collapsed onto his chest — their mouths found each, letting out moans of ecstasy in between kisses. His lips pulled away as his jaw fell open as he pumped into her deeply — finding his own release inside her. “Jordynne… Jordynne…,” His voice was a hoarse whisper.

The pair laid like that, limbs wrapped around each other as they tried to catch their breath. Ethan brushed some hair out of her eyes, tucking it behind her ear carefully.

“Good morning,” She said finally — a cheeky smile growing across her face.

“Great morning,” Ethan chuckled, pressing her forehead to his. “I could get used to this,”

“You better,” Jordynne said with a grin, before kissing him deeply.

It took some battling — but Ethan kept her in the bed with him for as long as he could. But eventually, even promises of never-ending coffee couldn’t take away the reality looming over them. She had the trial to prepare for.

“Let me do some more prep for the trial, then I’ll come back.” Jordynne bargained as she pulled on her golf dress from the previous day.

“I’m fairly certain you could just do it here.” He wrapped his hands around her now clothed waist.

She rolled her green eyes, “With Mr. Distraction? Ha, okay.”

Furrowing his thick brows, he retorted, “I’m not distracting.”

“I was talking about Jenner…” She tried to keep a straight face, before bursting out laughing. “I’m kidding — if I try and study here I’ll just end up having more scotch and coffee and kisses and se—“

“Okay, okay, I’m a bad influence I get it.” He interrupted her with a kiss. “1427 is the code for the lobby door— for when you come back.”

She looked surprised for a moment, at the information he just gave her. But then she nodded with a smile, “1427… okay.”

  
He walked her out to the living room — chuckling to himself as Jenner prolonged her leaving with even more pats ‘goodbye’. “My plan’s working…”

“I’m going!” She squealed, stepping away from the dog and heading towards the door.

Ethan held it open, angling it to hide himself as he was still half-naked from their intimate morning. “See you later, Jordynne.” He craned his neck down, his finger holding onto her chin as he kissed her softly.

Her eyes fluttered for a moment as he pulled away, a grin spreading across her face, “See you later.”

He watched her walk down the hallway, mesmerized by the sway of her legs. “Tell me when you get home!” He poked his head out of the door, calling out to her.

Her blonde hair swing as she whipped around, “‘Kay!”

He waited for her to disappear at the elevator before closing the door. Once he was on the other side of it, he placed his head back on the door and bit his lip.

Two things were for sure.

One — that was one of the most confusing turned exciting, and memorable 24 hours of his life.

Two — he was utterly exhausted. But for a good reason.

* * *

“Ethan?”

_Was that in his dream?_

Blinking the sleep out of his eyes, the scruffy faced man looked around his bedroom in a daze.

“Ethan?!”

There it was again — they were being extremely loud.

He stirred underneath the duvet — startling Jenner who was saying next to him. As the bedroom door opened, Ethan threw the blanket over his head and let out a mumbled grunt.

“Ethan, wake up.” The voice said again — he knew that voice. He liked that voice.

But he didn’t budge from underneath the covers.

Suddenly, there was a shift in the weight of the bed.

Moving the duvet off of his head, he opened his sleepy eyes and smiled. Jordynne was in a familiar position — straddling him on the bed like she had that very morning. Her fingers trailed softly up and down his cheek as she tried to wake him up.

“Mmm…” He let out a happy moan, “Good your back.” He tapped the spot next to him, motioning for her to join him.

She lifted her fingers off of his face, “Ethan, I need you to come with me right now. Get dressed, and I’ll explain everything in the car.”

Shaking his head, he replied in a mumble, “I don’t wanna go anywhere, let’s just stay here.”

“That’s not what I — Wait, are you hungover?” She poked at his chest teasingly.

“I seem to recall consuming an entire bottle of scotch last night. And some other strenuous activities. Do you not recall those, Rookie?”

“Ethan,” She put her fingers under his chin softly, to get his attention, “Dr. Banerji needs you.”

His heart sunk at the mention of his name, “Naveen? I can’t face him again, Jordynne. I failed him. I told you - it’s over…”

“I solved it.” She blurted.

“What?” His eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

He watched as her green eyes started to shine as she spoke, “He’s dying because he’s sceptic — his immune system failed due to an overreaction from an infection.“

“Okay… we already know this.” He shrugged, “We can’t figure out what the infection is.”

“Well, we couldn’t figure out what the infection is because it isn’t attacking him.” She reasoned, still renaming sitting on him as she spoke. “Bacterial infection and bacteriophage.”

He tossed out more information, “The bacteriophage is infecting and replicating in bacterial cells. So…”

She continued for him, “So the infection and the phage are attacking each other — not Naveen.”

Ethan nodded at her to continue, following her train of thought.

“And if the phage got past the blood-brain barrier.”

“Encephalitis … that explains his headaches.”

She pointed at her own chest, “And the bacterial infection explains his chest pain, his bloody cough…” She trailed off, “But all of these symptoms are secondary —sepsis is his body’s reaction to the battle between the virus and phage.”

Ethan’s blue eyes widened with shock. “My god… you’re right. You — you did it.”

“I already ran the tests for the bacterial strain.

“How — how did you—“

She interrupted him, “I got another doctor to steal hospital equipment and drive me to Naveen’s address. Which I also stole — from the hospital’s database.”

He let out a dry laugh, “That sounds about right.”

“p2 for the phage and the bacteria is Acinetobacter Baumannii.” She said softly.

“Ha!” He barked out a laugh, “The hospital superbug, resistant to any antibiotic.

“That’s what Naveen said. But — but what if we started to let the phage win? It would wipe out the bacteria.” She suggested.

“Theoretically,” He scratched at his stubble as he thought, “If you injected him with the correct amount and timed it right and didn’t kill him in the process…. then you could cure the phage.”

“And then he’ll live.” She said simply. Her hands moved back to the sides of his face. Her green eyes met his blue ones — they were very serious. “Ethan, I need you to do the phage therapy.”

“Jordynne…” He let out a heavy sigh, “It’s a gamble. We could be putting him through so much more pain and suffering…”

“Ethan, there are some things that are worth any risk.”

He swallowed as she repeated the words he had said to her himself — the night on the balcony in Miami. “Let me get dressed and we’ll take my car.”

Hustling out of the bedroom door, still buttoning up his shirt as he walked out. He paused as he watched Jordynne pouring out coffee into an aluminum cup. She padded towards him — holding it out for him.

He let out a sigh of relief after his large swig — it was exactly what he had needed. And it was made exactly how he liked it. He swore she could read his mind

Grabbing his keys off of the front console, Ethan hesitated as he looked at the framed photo above it. It was of him and Naveen — shaking hands with each other as they both held onto an award. He gulped as he stared at Naveen’s soft brown face.

“You can do this. We have the answer.” Jordynne grabbed onto his elbow softly — bringing him back to reality.

“I know I can do it. I know. That’s now what I’m afraid of.” His blue eyes looked down at the floorboards, “It’s just facing him again… after I gave up. How could I ever forgive myself for that?”

“Ethan,” She ducked her head under him, so she could look him in the eyes, “You did what you thought was right. There isn’t anything to forgive. But right now — your friend needs you. I need you.”

She pressed her pink lips to his — they were warm and soft.

And exactly what he had needed at that moment.

“What was that for?” He asked a little breathlessly.

“For luck.”

“I see. In that case, to pull this off, I’m gonna need a lot more luck.” He found her lips again, drawing them to him with great need. They stood like that — in his entranceway, kissing each other — the moment suspended for a moment as they got lost in each other.

“We should go,” Jordynne whispered as she pulled away.

Ethan put his forehead on hers, smiling down at her. They pulled apart from each other and headed towards the door. As he grabbed the doorknob, he paused again, “By the way, don’t say anything to Naveen about us, okay?”

He panicked at the hurt that flashed across her face, and quickly explained, “I just don’t want to give the man the satisfaction of knowing he was right about us.”

“Oh, he’ll know. That man is too intuitive.” She smirked.

Ethan let out a soft chuckle, “But still least we can delay it — cause once he knows he’ll never let me hear the end of it.”

The pair walked through the door — ready to face what was next. Together.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Rating: M (Swearing, and just to be safe honestly!)
> 
> Word Count: 4200+
> 
> Description: Jordynne’s Ethics Hearing is finally here. But what does this mean for all of them? (Majority in Bryce’s POV!) 
> 
> Disclaimer: Characters, storyline, and parts of the dialogue are taken from Pixelberry’s Choices. They fully own the characters, dialogue, backgrounds, etc. MC Jordynne’s background is my own creation, based loosely off of MC in-game’s personality and provided with more details.
> 
> Author’s Note: Welp at least I did my goal of releasing the final chapter before OH Book 2! This fic did take me a lot longer then I thought it would – but I did it!! YAY! This is the first time I have ever actually completed a fic! I most definitely will be continuing the story of Jordynne, Bryce and Ethan for Residency 2.0 (is that what I’ll call it?). Thank you so so so much for everyone who has read the series along the way, and for all the kudos, comments, and bookmarks! It means so much! I hope everyone enjoys and is excited for OH2 to come out on Saturday!!!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters, storyline, and parts of the dialogue are taken from Pixelberry’s Choices. They fully own the characters, dialogue, backgrounds, etc. MC Jordynne’s background is my own creation, based loosely off of MC in-game’s personality and provided with more details.

PART TWENTY

Bryce jiggled his knee nervously — it was hidden under the table, out of anyone’s eyesight. He was picking at the food in front of him — his fork lazily spinning around the take out Chinese food.

The roommates had ordered it — and invited him over. He had accepted, as he really had started to feel like he was becoming one of them — but with everything going on he just couldn’t enjoy himself.

He still hadn’t heard from Jordynne — the last he had seen of her was her whirling around the library like a tornado. And even then it was all medicine and science.

“So, has any heard from Jordynne? Is Doctor Banerji okay?” He asked, trying to sound casual.

“No, not yet. Maybe she won’t come home again.” Jackie shrugged as she chewed lazily.

“What you mean?” His eyebrows furrowed, setting his fork down.

Sienna flashed Jackie a look.

She kept chewing, before opening her mouth again, “I mean she didn’t come home last night either. Maybe she won’t tonight.” She shrugged.

“Oh.”

Bryce felt his heart go up into his throat — he did his best to keep it down. She hadn’t come home last night — the night she went to see Ethan.

He didn’t want to jump to conclusions. And he didn’t have any right to. He had been through this. Over and over and over and over. Hell, he had told the guy to stop fucking it up with her already. To do something about it.

_So why did he still feel this way?_

A couple hours later he was wedged onto the sectional — his coffee-colored eyes glazed over as they huddled around the television. Elijah was talking animatedly about Battlestar Galactica but only Sienna was really showing an interest.

The rattle of keys in the front door caused his ears to perk up, and he watched as Jordynne slid in through the front door. He was like a dog waiting for his owner to come home — Bryce practically jumped up off of the couch.

She gave them a tired smile and a quiet “hey” as she pulled her messenger bag over her head. Using her toes, she kicked off her shoes.

“Hey,” The group called back in unison. Sienna grabbed the remote from Elijah’s lap and paused the show.

“How’s Dr. Banerji?!” Elijah asked — his brown eyes wide.

_Right — Dr. Banerji. God, how selfish was he being? A man was on his death bed and he was consumed in his own thoughts of him and Jordynne and her with Ethan._

“It’s hard to tell. Ethan did the phage therapy. Now we just wait.” She shrugged — she looked exhausted.

“You didn’t stay?” Jackie asked — the question seemed double-edged.

Jordynne bit down on her bottom lip, “They needed some time. And I still haven’t prepared for the hearing.”

Her blue eyes found Bryce’s dark ones — he hesitated as she stared at him. They studied each other for a moment, before he coughed, “Well, I can help you prep for it.”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that. I’m sure you have better things to do.”

Bryce shook his head, “Then make sure you get to stay at Edenbrook? No way.”

She smiled — but it looked forced. The edges of it faltered before she turned towards the kitchen. “Chinese food? Yum! Can I have some?” Her voice sounded a little higher than usual.

“Yeah, help yourself, Jordy.” Elijah waved, craning his neck to look back at her. He and Sienna shared a look — they were just as concerned as he was.

“Well, I’m dipping out. No more Number Six for me guys. Do you need help with the prep Holland?” Jackie asked, her arms crossed over her torso.

Jordynne finished swallowing a mouthful of noodles, “No that’s okay. Those old cases you sent me are more than enough. Thanks.”

“Cool. See you tomorrow.” She turned on her heel and headed to her bedroom. Bryce watched Jordynne’s face fall again before she dipped her face to continue to eat.

“We can watch the rest of the show in E’s room — so you can study out here.” Sienna reached for the remote — but Jordynne cut her off.

“Oh my gosh, no, please. I’ve ruined enough evenings for you guys as is. I will study in my room.” She placed her bowl in the sink, padding towards her room. “Seriously, I love you guys.” She smiled back at them before slipping into her bedroom.

She left the door ajar.

“Thanks for the Chinese food guys. I’ll transfer you money tomorrow.” Bryce said, still standing in the middle of the living room.

“Sure man, no worries.” Elijah nodded — a kind but sad smile on his face.

Taking a breath, Bryce headed over to her bedroom — knocking on the open door.

“Hey,” Jordynne turned around from her dresser — a binder in her hands. “Thanks for offering to help — you don’t have to you know.”

“I know.” He said, carefully stepping into the room. “I want to.”

She shuffled through a large stack of papers — they were highlighted and flagged in organized chaos. “So I’ve reviewed all these previous ethics hearing and I thought maybe you could listen to what I have prepared and —,”

“Jordy?” He tried to get her attention but she kept mumbling on.

“And then maybe you can just help me sound more confident? You’re good at that so if —“

“Jordynne.” He stepped forward, putting his hands on either shoulder. “Breathe.”

She let out a breathy laugh, “Right, yeah.”

The pair sat on the edge of her bed — the mattress sinking at the weight.

“How are you?”

“Well, Naveen is stable so that’s better and as long as I—“

But he interrupted, “No, Jordynne. How are _you_?”

“I’m alright.” She sighed, “Tired. And nervous. You?”

“I’m okay,” He whispered, putting on a smile. “How’s Ethan?” Her face twisted with surprise at the mention of his name. “I’m sure this has been just as hard for him. Especially with Dr. Banerji.”

“Right — yeah, he’s come to terms with a lot of things. But he’s okay.”

“I saw him — a couple nights ago,” He admitted. “He was a mess, honestly. I’m glad it sounds like he’s doing better.”

“Me too.” She agreed, but her voice was quiet.

They sat in silence for a moment — side by side, legs just barely touching.

“Are you sure you want me here?” Bryce asked — his brown eyes big as he looked over to her.

She met his eyes — searching them, “Yeah. Yeah — I do.”

“Then this is where I’ll be.” He settled into the mattress, folding his hands onto his stomach, “Let’s hear this speech, Jordy.”

She nodded with a small smile, “Okay.” She grabbed onto one of the pieces of paper and settled in next to him.

* * *

Bryce sat in the tight auditorium chair — his green scrubs riding up uncomfortably. Most of the hospital staff had packed themselves into the space — nobody had wanted to miss this.

Jordynne was standing up front — her face and demeanor calm as she listened to the panelists. She looked amazing — wearing a crisp, white suit that accentuated her long legs and tan skin. Her hair was pulled back in a sleek ponytail.

They had just returned from the recess — after Mrs. Martinez’s son showed up and surprised everyone by thanking Jordynne for what she had done.

“Dr. Holland, you stand accused of not just breaking Edenbrook’s policies, but the Hippocratic Oath.”

“First, ‘do no harm’. You broke your vow as a doctor.” Dr. Cyrus chimed in.

“I don’t believe I did,” Jordynne stated.

“I see. Might I ask, what you think it means to be a doctor then?” Bryce’s surgical attending asked.

“What it means to be a doctor? It means fighting the inevitable,” Her green eyes searched the crowd as she said it. Bryce couldn’t see who – but he didn’t need to see in order to know who she was looking for. “They say that as doctors, we’re just buying time. We all die eventually. But time isn’t always what we need. Mrs. Martinez would’ve rather spent 10 days doing what she loved than 10 years cooped up here. Since we all lose that fight eventually… I’m gonna fight to make sure my patients fight on their _own_ terms.”

The crowd burst into applause. That was the speech that they had practiced all night. And that was the best version yet. 

“I have one last question, Dr. Holland? Do you regret what you have done?”

“I regret the pain I’ve caused.” She turned to Mr. Martinez, sitting next to Ethan Ramsey — apparently, that was his doing. “I regret all the pain I caused Mrs. Martinez’s family. I regret causing problems for my colleagues and mentors.” She looked over to their group, meeting their eyes. “But I do not regret what I was able to do for Mrs. Martinez. To me, it’s worth everything. Maybe even my career.” She shrugged, pursing her lips into a serious line.

“And there we have it! Dr. Holland knowingly broke the rules and would do it again! I move that we stop wasting time and call a vote!” Dr. Cyrus slammed his hand onto the table.

“Seconded. The seven panelists will now vote whether to revoke Dr. Holland’s privileges at Edenbrook.” Chief emery said.

“Here we go…” Kyra whispered into Bryce’s ear, holding onto his forearm tightly.

“You weren’t going to start without me, were you?”

Shock buzzed throughout the room as Dr. Banerji walked slowly into the room — aided by both a cane and Landry. Gasps and whispers filled the room.

“Dr— Dr. Banerji?!” Jordynne looked as confused as the rest of them, and she rushed over to him walking down the stairs.

“Sorry for the wait! Once he woke up, I got him here as fast as I could.” Landry’s curls were disheveled and his scrubs wrinkly.

Bryce craned his neck to find Ethan — Naveen had paused beside him — shaking his hand vigorously. Ethan‘s mouth was spread into a tight-lipped smile.

“Naveen, what are you doing here?” Chief Emery stood you from her spot in confusion, “You said you were retiring.”

The old man barked a laugh as he took the stairs one at a time, “What I should have said was _expiring_. Until yesterday, I was on the verge of death. Sepsis of unknown origin. Unknown, that is, until Dr. Holland gave up her last day to prepare for this hearing by solving my case.” Letting out a loud breath, he smiled as he reached the panelists. “Now then, I believe that seat still has my name on it.”

“Cyrus! Stop this!” Declan spat, his eyes ablaze.

“That’s uh, fantastic news, Dr. Banerji, but I’m afraid it’s too late for you to vote. Procedure and all…” The man didn’t sound very sure of himself.

“You were never a good liar, Cyrus.” Naveen patted him on the back before taking his seat. Letting out a happy sigh, he spoke again, “Now then. Given the circumstances of my resurrection, I think we all know what I’m about to say. That’s going to be a ‘nay’ from me.” He said, winking up at Jordynne.

Three more panelists continued to vote ‘nay’ — including Bryce’s surgical attending. It made his heart leap with pride at his department.

The voting paused on Chief Emery — who looked around the room trying to find someone. Then she focused back on Jordynne. “Dr. Holland, you’ve proven you’re someone who focuses as much on what a patient wants as what their body needs…But we’re not here to save bodies. We are here to save lives. I vote nay.”

Jordynne’s mouth opens in surprise, her green eyes wide as she stared back at the panel. “Oh my god. I get to stay?!”

As the crowd began to buzz with excitement, the other panelists voted ‘nay’ — following those before them no matter what they have originally felt.

“Hell yeah! Unanimous MVP!” Bryce cupped his hands around his mouth, shouting in the auditorium. His shout broke the crowd and everyone broke into applause. A smile broke out across Jordynne’s face as she watched everyone celebrate. He watched as her eyes searched the room — he knew who she was trying to find. It didn’t matter — she did it. That’s all that mattered.

Everyone around them began to stand up — chatting excitedly with each other about the outcome. The crowd became suddenly thick — and Bryce and his friends had to try and fight their way throughout it in order to get to Jordynne.

But he stopped when he saw her — smiling up at Ethan, who was holding onto her elbow gently. Probably the most they could get away with considering their setting. Bryce gulped, grabbing onto the back of Elijah’s chair, “Come on. We’ll meet her outside guys.”

* * *

Bryce sat on the metal bench outside of the sandwich shop next to Donahue’s — his skin blushing red from the cold wind. He had just needed a break.

He loved a celebration as much as the next guy. Hell, probably way more than the next guy. All of them had needed this — needed a win.

But it was all becoming too intoxicating — and he wasn’t talking about the liquor. Dancing with Jordynne and laughing with her and singing with her. All he had wanted to do was to reach down and kiss her — but he wasn’t supposed to do that. _Was he? They had never said._

Lost in his own thoughts, Bryce blinked himself back to reality at the sound of a car door closing. He froze all over as he watched Ethan step over the curb. He watched as the well-dressed man locked his car over his shoulder without even looking.

_Please don’t see me. Please don’t see me._

He let out a breath as the ex-Attending glided by the bench without a second glance. Ramsey was fiddling with the strap of his watch as he walked by — he seemed nervous.

Craning his head to continue watching, Bryce’s eyebrows furrowed as the man stopped in his tracks.

“Dr. Olsen.” He had stopped to greet Landry as he exited the bar. Bryce had noticed him slinking around the bar, chancing glances around the room trying to get their attention. He must’ve finally given up.

“I — uh, Dr. Ramsey. Sir, good evening.” _God, he was such a kiss ass._

“Save it, Snake.”

Bryce’s ears perked up as Ethan’s voice turned into a growl.

“Wh—what?” Landry asked in confusion until suddenly there was a scuffle of movement. Ethan had grabbed Landry by his collar — shuffling him into the little alley next to the bar.

Ethan pressed him up against the brick wall, his voice low and rough, “I’ll start things off pleasantly. You were apart of saving Dr. Banerji — I can’t deny that. But that is the only reason you don’t have a broken nose right now.”

Landry’s blue eyes were wide, his face completely pale, “I don’t underst—“

“You think I don’t know? The role you played in all of this? The lives you put at risk you petty _shit_.” He spat his words like venom.

“I — I did what I had to! For the competition! To be the best doctor I could be. To be like —to be like you.”

“That is not the kind of Doctor that I am.” Ethan snarled. “You wanted me to know your name, Olsen? Oh, I know it now kid. It’s blacklisted now.”

“I’m— I’m,” He stammered, “I’m transferring to Mass Kenmore. I won’t be—“

“I know you are. Who do you think got you in? You think Dr. Simmons would take you if I hadn’t have called her?”

Bryce could still see Landry gulp — even from his bench.

“If I see you anywhere near Dr. Holland again, you will be answering to me. Got it?”

“Yes, sir.” Landry nodded profusely.

Ethan finally let go of his collar — stepping away and wiping his hand on his trousers. Like he didn’t want any essence of Dr. Olsen lingering on him.

“You’ll never be a doctor like her, Olsen.” Ethan’s jaw set in a hard line before he shoved his hands in his pockets and marched into Donahue’s without a backward glance.

Bryce watched as Landry attempted to collect himself in the alley. A part of him wished it was him instead of Ethan telling him exactly what he deserved to hear — but he was just glad it happened regardless.

He waited a moment — not wanting to follow either of those two men. Before he could move though a figure walked towards him.

Jackie slid into the spot next to him — still clutching her drink. Bryce’s mouth turned into a frown as she pulled out a cigarette from the pocket of her leather jacket.

She rolled her eyes, “What? I do it like once a year, okay?”

“Some doctor…” He coughed, shaking his head.

“Look I know I shouldn’t I just —“

He put his hands up, “Do whatever you want. But when I see you in 5 years on the OR table because your lungs have tumors don’t complain.”

“Like I’d let you put me under the knife Lahela.” She scoffed with a smile.

“Gimme some of that,” He pointed at her drink. She put it out for him to grab.

Just as he took a swig he watched as a pair stumbled out of the bar — the music from inside getting louder as the sound poured out of the building. He swallowed the liquid down hard — the straight vodka burning down his throat.

“Dr. Holland and I are just dropping by the hospital for some paperwork, that’s all.” He heard the familiar voice — the one he has just heard threatening Landry in the alley. But it was softer now. 

Then he heard her laugh — Jordynne’s laugh. It was music to his ears — but it twisted his stomach that it wasn’t because of him. “You are so bad at being subtle.” She squeezed Ethan’s arm, as they walked away from the bar.

“What are you talking about? I played that extremely well.” He smirked at her, grabbing her hand from his shoulder and holding it with his— pulling her further down the sidewalk and away from the bar. Bryce and Jackie sat in silence — watching the scene unfold.

Ethan stepped out off the curb, waving down a cab for the pair of them. With mixed feelings, Bryce watched as he opened the yellow door for her — his hand on her waist as he helped her inside. 

Bryce took a large gulp of the drink as Jordynne reached up from sitting in the cab — straining her neck as she kissed the well-dressed, scruffy Attending. Averting his eyes, he looked down into the glass and into the clear liquid.

Once he heard the cab pull away he looked up. Jackie was watching him carefully — studying him as she took the final drags of her cigarette.

“Well looks like Holland’s off for a good time.”

He let out a quiet sigh, “I guess so.”

“Sorry, Lahela.”

He gulped, “Why?”

“‘Cause — ‘cause I know how you feel.”

He waited for her to speak again.

“How you feel watching Jordynne and Dr. Ramsey… That’s how I feel when I watch her with you. And Dr. Terminator now too.” She put her cigarette out on the metal bench — playing with it in her fingers.

“I — I had no idea.”

“Yeah, well — it’s hard to not wanna be with her. She’s —“

“Something else.” He finished for her.

Jackie nodded in agreement— her eyes falling down to the sidewalk. “ I fucked it up. I felt jealous and intimidated and then the competition…”

“That was hard for both of you. I know — I know Jordynne had a hard time with all of that,” He remembered the many venting sessions they had at the coffee machine, “I’m sorry.”

“I’m not telling you this for sympathy. I’m telling you this because — Just don’t give up on it. Not yet.”

“I wasn’t—“

“It’s you, Lahela. It’s always been you. Since day one.” She finally looked up and met his eyes, “Just don’t give up.”

“Okay.” He nodded, “Okay.”

* * *

“Thank you all for coming. I just have a few short announcements.”

Jordynne quickened her pace as she stepped into the atrium, not wanting to miss the first announcement. But her steps faltered as she passed Ethan.

“Dr. Holland,” He nodded — avoiding her eyes.

“Dr. Ramsey,” She replied politely — waiting for him to move first. She watched as he moved to the side of the crowd — staying near the back and out of the way.

Weaving her way through the crowd, Jordynne looked for her friends. She sidled up next to them, bumping her hip into Bryce’s as a greeting. He looked down at her and gave her his classic megawatt smile.

“Are you seriously late on your first day again?” Jackie asked, rolling her eyes.

“Sorry, had to resuscitate a guy in the waiting room.” She smirked, shrugging her shoulders.

“You get to have all the fun.” Bryce winked at her. Jordynne gulped at the action.

Harper waited for the crowd to settle down before speaking up once more, “I’d like to thank you for all your support and service during my year as hospital chief… But after much deliberation, I have decided to step down, to return to my previous post as head of neurosurgery.”

The crowd of hospital staff immediately began whispering to each other in shock.

“Are you kidding me?! I get to do surgeries with Harper Emery all the time now. I am _blessed. ˆ” _Bryce whispered into Jordynne’s ear — the sensation made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. _Was he wearing new cologne too? _He smelled different.

“Thank you all, “ Harper continued, “I’m eager to get back in my scrubs, and I couldn’t do it without someone very qualified to hand the reins to. Please welcome to our _new_ chief of medicine, Naveen Banerji.”

The crowd cheered and applauded as the old man approached stood beside Emery. His cane was still clutched in his hand. Jordynne craned her neck to look behind her — searching for Ethan. _Did he know about this? _Gauging from the stunned look on his face, she would say no.

Naveen smiled out at the crowd, “As many of you now know, my health has taken a recent turn. It has required me to step away from the busy caseload of my diagnostics team. But I am leaving it in the very capable hands of Dr. Ramsey.”

The crowd redirected their attention to Dr. Ramsey, hiding at the back of the crowd. His arms uncrossed from his body, his shoulder raising up, “Wait, what? What the hell is happening?”

“Have a good day everybody!” Naveen said cheerfully, dismissing the crowd before he could say anything else.

Ethan marched towards the pair, causing Jordynne to pause. She watched him for a moment, hearing his words echo throughout the atrium. “Administration. Naveen? Really? You hate administrators.”

“Hey, I’ll be right back okay?” Jordynne whispered, heading over to the trio — leaving her friends who were walking towards the elevators. “I’ll meet you upstairs,” She said reassuringly at Bryce who had hesitated.

Naveen barked out a laugh, “No, my friend. _You_ do. But now that I am one, I’m sure you and I can strike a balance.”

“Ha! Good luck with that one, Naveen.” Harper remarked, turning on her heel and strutting away.

The new chief turned to go with her, before pausing and looking over his shoulder, “Oh, and Ethan! This will leave an open spot on the team after all. And I think I know who I want to take it.” Naveen raised his eyebrow for a moment, before gesturing to Jordynne who was standing close by.

Jordynne moved closer, pointing at herself, “Me? Wow, it’s such an honor.”

Naveen’s smile grew as he looked at her, holding out his hand as he patted her on the shoulder, “It’s not an honor, Dr. Harper. It’s an opportunity. One I think you’ll shine in.”

She looked at Ethan next to her — his mouth was hanging open in surprise.

“Holland? But… she… I…” He stammered, unable to get any words out.

“You don’t think she’s proven herself worthy to train on the team?” He raised his eyebrows in question.

“Of course she has. But we —“

Naveen interrupted him, “_Excellent_. It’s settled then. Dr. Holland will spend her second year as the junior fellow on the diagnostics team… with you as her direct supervisor.” His eyes moved from Ethan’s shellshocked face to the newly promoted intern, “Congratulations, Jordynne. You earned it.”

Jordynne swallowed, offering a smile to Naveen before turning to face Ethan. He was standing with his arms dangling at his sides. She could almost hear the gears turning in his head. This is what a lot more complicated than anything they could have imagined.

“So, um… how do we deal with this?” Jordynne pulled on her ponytail nervously.

His blue eyes studied her face, stopping momentarily on her lips, “We make it work. What matters is the patients. Right?”

“Right.” She nodded. It sounded like they were trying to convince themselves more than anything.

Ethan stared at her for a moment longer, before scratching his head. “Well then. Get to work, Rookie.” His voice returning to the cold, Attending she had met on her first day.

“Yes, Doctor.” She nodded, adjusting her ponytail one more time before turning on her heel. She licked her lips as she headed towards the elevator, trying to contain the thousands of thoughts whirling through her head.

But she was brought back to reality as she heard her name called. Looking up she saw Bryce standing in front of the elevators, his smile still plastered on his face. “You good, Jordy?”

_He had waited for her_. Of course, he had.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m good.” She lied, stepping onto the elevator with him. “It’s all good.” She gulped, holding onto the railing.


End file.
